Department of Counseling

College Affordability Guide ranks Wayne State in the No.1 spot for 2022 as the Most Affordable College in Nebraska. College Affordability Guide focuses not only on the financial cost of colleges, but on the opportunity cost: what happens to students once they're enrolled. Do they graduate? Can they pay back their loans? Their analysis is designed to find schools that are affordable not only for the average student, but for lower-income students as well.

Ranking is based on the following factors:

• Institutional Fit – At least 500 students enrolled and the ability to earn non-standard credits, including at least 20% of students receiving Pell Grants.
• Getting In – Overall affordability and equitable use of financial aid, making the average net price of $15,000/year or less
• Getting Out – High graduation rate with more than 50% of students either debt-free or paying down student debt within three years of graduation
• Top Colleges - The combination of these "Institutional Fit," "Getting In," and "Getting Out" filters leaves a small group of schools that are serious about making sure that students of all backgrounds get their money's worth.

Best Counseling Degrees ranked Wayne State College at No. 5 in the Midwest for most affordable master’s degree in counseling. More than 100 graduate schools from the following states were considered: North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, Wisconsin, Illinois, Michigan, Indiana, and Ohio.  Programs had to meet rigorous criteria to become accredited and were also ranked based on average tuition.

Learn more about our master's degree in counseling

Wayne State College has been ranked at No.1 in Nebraska and No. 3 in the Plains States region for having the Best Value Master's Degree in Counseling. For its 2022 ranking, College Factual looked at accredited colleges and universities in the United States to determine which ones were the best for counselor education. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent counselor education/school counseling and guidance services programs, but they also cost less that schools of similar quality. To come up with these rankings, College Factual looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded, and the overall quality of the counseling degree programs at the school.

Wayne State College has been named as a College of Distinction. Colleges of Distinction honors and recognizes the hundreds of smaller, teaching-centered colleges that make up the fabric of the American educational system, schools that deliver well four overarching distinctions — Engagement, Teaching, Community, and Outcomes — which are the fundamental elements of an effective undergraduate education.

To be designated a “college of distinction,” a school’s curriculum must emphasize such core competencies as critical thinking, writing, oral skills, research, and global perspectives. They must also offer dynamic out-of-classroom learning and study abroad programs. The process is objective, in-depth, and qualitative; however, quantitative data such as class-size statistics, faculty-to-student ratio, plus retention and four-year graduation rates are also taken into account.