With SAA/CSPA/ &etc the curriculum can vary widely but you also don't tend to face the same sort of name snobbery that you do in academic hiring. The best college to study CSPA at is the one you receive the best funding package at. There are colleges whose CSPA programs focus more on counseling theory and others that draw from a wider pool of interdisciplinary material.
Just make sure you choose a school where you fit well with both the academic program/faculty and your assistantship supervisors.