2026 Best Value Clinical, Counseling & Applied Psychology Schools in Ohio
[Clinical, Counseling & Applied Psychology](/majors/psychology/clinical-counseling-applied-psychology/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 26 schools to find the best return on investment for clinical, counseling & applied psychology students.
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2026 Best Value Clinical, Counseling & Applied Psychology Schools in Ohio
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in clinical, counseling & applied psychology, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Clinical, Counseling & Applied Psychology Schools
Leading the list is Youngstown State University, our #1 best value for clinical, counseling & applied psychology in Ohio. Located in the city of Youngstown, Youngstown State University is a large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $9,926, with out-of-state students paying around $10,286. Students borrow a median of $26,373 to complete the clinical, counseling & applied psychology program here. Early-career clinical, counseling & applied psychology graduates make about $50,731. Set against $26,373 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 84%.
Cleveland State University came in at #2 on our 2026 list of the best value clinical, counseling & applied psychology schools. Set in the city of Cleveland, Cleveland State University is a large public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $12,982, compared with $18,502 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for clinical, counseling & applied psychology graduates is $26,336. Early-career clinical, counseling & applied psychology graduates make about $54,181. That is a strong return on a $26,336 median debt. Cleveland State University admits about 91% of applicants.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Wright State University Main Campus earned it the #3 place for clinical, counseling & applied psychology. Wright State University Main Campus is a large public school located in the suburb of Dayton. Students from in state pay about $10,991 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $20,691. Typical student debt for clinical, counseling & applied psychology graduates is $25,836. Clinical, Counseling & Applied Psychology graduates of Wright State University Main Campus earn a median of $67,124 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Wright State University Main Campus admits about 96% of applicants.
University Of Toledo came in at #4 on our 2026 list of the best value clinical, counseling & applied psychology schools. Located in the city of Toledo, University Of Toledo is a large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $12,157, while out-of-state students pay about $21,517. Students borrow a median of $24,923 to complete the clinical, counseling & applied psychology program here. Early-career clinical, counseling & applied psychology graduates make about $52,675. That is a strong return on a $24,923 median debt. Roughly 92% of applicants are accepted.
Students looking for strong value in clinical, counseling & applied psychology will find it at University Of Akron Main Campus, which ranked #5. Located in the city of Akron, University Of Akron Main Campus is a large public university. Students from in state pay about $13,135 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $20,815. Typical student debt for clinical, counseling & applied psychology graduates is $25,347. Clinical, Counseling & Applied Psychology graduates of University Of Akron Main Campus earn a median of $68,344 early in their careers. Set against $25,347 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. University Of Akron Main Campus admits about 60% of applicants.
Kent State University At Kent ranked #6 on our 2026 list of the best value clinical, counseling & applied psychology schools. Set in the suburb of Kent, Kent State University At Kent is a very large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $12,220, compared with $21,575 for out-of-state students. Clinical, Counseling & Applied Psychology graduates carry a median of $25,174 in student loans. Early-career clinical, counseling & applied psychology graduates make about $58,818. That is a strong return on a $25,174 median debt. The acceptance rate is 86%.
Franklin University came in at #7 for value in clinical, counseling & applied psychology this year. Located in the city of Columbus, Franklin University is a large private not-for-profit university. In-state tuition and fees average $9,577. Typical student debt for clinical, counseling & applied psychology graduates is $35,500. Clinical, Counseling & Applied Psychology graduates of Franklin University earn a median of $51,740 early in their careers. Set against $35,500 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Ashland University earned the #8 position for value in clinical, counseling & applied psychology this year. Set in the town of Ashland, Ashland University is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $31,210. Typical student debt for clinical, counseling & applied psychology graduates is $24,536. Soon after graduation, clinical, counseling & applied psychology degree recipients from Ashland University generally make around $45,224. Set against $24,536 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 76% of applicants are accepted.
University Of Cincinnati Main Campus earned the #9 position for value in clinical, counseling & applied psychology this year. Located in the city of Cincinnati, University Of Cincinnati Main Campus is a very large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $13,363, compared with $28,697 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for clinical, counseling & applied psychology graduates is $19,000. Early-career clinical, counseling & applied psychology graduates make about $58,516. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 85% of applicants are accepted.
Tiffin University placed #10 among the best values for clinical, counseling & applied psychology. Set in the town of Tiffin, Tiffin University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit institution. In-state tuition and fees average $34,790. Typical student debt for clinical, counseling & applied psychology graduates is $27,000. Soon after graduation, clinical, counseling & applied psychology degree recipients from Tiffin University generally make around $40,807. That is a strong return on a $27,000 median debt. The acceptance rate is 80%.
Franciscan University Of Steubenville placed #11 among the best values for clinical, counseling & applied psychology. Set in the city of Steubenville, Franciscan University Of Steubenville is a mid-sized private not-for-profit institution. In-state tuition and fees average $34,100. Typical student debt for clinical, counseling & applied psychology graduates is $25,029. Early-career clinical, counseling & applied psychology graduates make about $47,693. That is a strong return on a $25,029 median debt. Roughly 58% of applicants are accepted.
Miami University Oxford ranked #12 on our 2026 list of the best value clinical, counseling & applied psychology schools. Set in the town of Oxford, Miami University Oxford is a large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $17,519, compared with $38,965 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for clinical, counseling & applied psychology graduates is $24,177. Early-career clinical, counseling & applied psychology graduates make about $59,464. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 75% of applicants are accepted.
University Of Dayton placed #13 among the best values for clinical, counseling & applied psychology. Located in the city of Dayton, University Of Dayton is a large private not-for-profit university. Students from in state pay about $49,140 in tuition and fees. Clinical, Counseling & Applied Psychology graduates carry a median of $25,033 in student loans. Clinical, Counseling & Applied Psychology graduates of University Of Dayton earn a median of $50,838 early in their careers. Set against $25,033 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 65% of applicants are accepted.
Xavier University came in at #14 for value in clinical, counseling & applied psychology this year. Xavier University is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Cincinnati. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $49,425. Students borrow a median of $26,614 to complete the clinical, counseling & applied psychology program here. Clinical, Counseling & Applied Psychology graduates of Xavier University earn a median of $55,045 early in their careers. Set against $26,614 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 86% of applicants are accepted.
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Notes and References
This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 26 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 13 ranked schools only.
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE), serves as the core of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
More about our data sources and methodologies.
