2026 Best Value Student Counseling Schools in New Jersey
[Student Counseling](/majors/education/student-counseling/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong student counseling education at a price that pays off.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 12 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for student counseling students.
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2026 Best Value Student Counseling Schools in New Jersey
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the student counseling degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value Student Counseling Schools
New Jersey City University tops our 2026 list of the best value student counseling schools in New Jersey. New Jersey City University is a moderately-sized public school located in the city of Jersey City. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $14,460. Students borrow a median of $22,107 to complete the student counseling program here. Student Counseling graduates of New Jersey City University earn a median of $55,457 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. New Jersey City University admits about 98% of applicants.
Students looking for strong value in student counseling will find it at Kean University, which ranked #2. Kean University is a large public school located in the suburb of Union. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $14,299, while out-of-state students pay about $22,446. Typical student debt for student counseling graduates is $26,703. Early-career student counseling graduates make about $55,811. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 76% of applicants are accepted.
Montclair State University came in at #3 on our 2026 list of the best value student counseling schools. Located in the suburb of Montclair, Montclair State University is a very large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $15,912, while out-of-state students pay about $26,022. Students borrow a median of $25,286 to complete the student counseling program here. Student Counseling graduates of Montclair State University earn a median of $54,513 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $25,286 median debt. Roughly 88% of applicants are accepted.
Students looking for strong value in student counseling will find it at William Paterson University Of New Jersey, which ranked #4. William Paterson University Of New Jersey is a large public school located in the suburb of Wayne. Students from in state pay about $15,704 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $25,344. Student Counseling graduates carry a median of $25,644 in student loans. Soon after graduation, student counseling degree recipients from William Paterson University Of New Jersey generally make around $60,928. Set against $25,644 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. William Paterson University Of New Jersey admits about 90% of applicants.
Rowan University is a great value for students pursuing a degree in student counseling, landing the #5 spot this year. Set in the suburb of Glassboro, Rowan University is a very large public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $16,574, compared with $26,932 for out-of-state students. Student Counseling graduates carry a median of $24,488 in student loans. Student Counseling graduates of Rowan University earn a median of $50,042 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Rowan University admits about 78% of applicants.
Rutgers University New Brunswick earned the #6 position for value in student counseling this year. Rutgers University New Brunswick is a very large public school located in the city of New Brunswick. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $17,929, while out-of-state students pay about $37,441. Students borrow a median of $25,120 to complete the student counseling program here. Early-career student counseling graduates make about $50,778. Set against $25,120 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Rutgers University New Brunswick admits about 58% of applicants.
The College Of New Jersey landed the #7 spot for student counseling value this year. The College Of New Jersey is a moderately-sized public school located in the suburb of Ewing. Students from in state pay about $19,632 in tuition and fees, compared with $25,752 for out-of-state students. Student Counseling graduates carry a median of $24,429 in student loans. Early-career student counseling graduates make about $57,999. That is a strong return on a $24,429 median debt. The College Of New Jersey admits about 62% of applicants.
Seton Hall University came in at #8 for value in student counseling this year. Located in the suburb of South Orange, Seton Hall University is a large private not-for-profit university. In-state tuition and fees average $53,170. Typical student debt for student counseling graduates is $23,422. Soon after graduation, student counseling degree recipients from Seton Hall University generally make around $58,844. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 73% of applicants are accepted.
Monmouth University earned the #9 position for value in student counseling this year. Set in the suburb of West Long Branch, Monmouth University is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $46,552. Typical student debt for student counseling graduates is $26,847. Early-career student counseling graduates make about $57,322. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Monmouth University admits about 89% of applicants.
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 · 12 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 7 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.
