Academic adviser education requirements

Q: What degree do you need to be an academic advisor?

You need a bachelor's degree in psychology or a related field to be an academic advisor. There are several options that are relevant to the field. However, the most notable are student development, higher education leadership, and career development. Getting a master's degree will give you a greater opportunity for career advancement and salary increases. An academic advisor can also further their expertise by taking courses to keep their knowledge up to date. The Global Community for Academic Advising is an organization that offers several options to gain leadership recognition and skills. These include seminars, awards, and more. As an academic advisor, you are responsible for collaborating with students on what classes will best suit them. You may also find yourself helping them change that direction more than once. It is important that you are well-prepared to do this. Having your degree in the appropriate field is essential.

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become an academic adviser. Academic advisers usually study psychology, business, or communication. 64% of academic advisers hold a bachelor's degree, and 26% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 9,638 real academic adviser resumes to see exactly what academic adviser education sections show.

The most common colleges for academic advisers are the Liberty University and the Liberty University.

There are also many online academic adviser courses to help get the education required to be an academic adviser.

There are certain academic adviser certifications that you should consider. These academic adviser certifications include Certified Professional - Human Resource (IPMA-CP) and Advanced First Aid & CPR.

What education do you need to become an academic adviser?

What degree do you need to be an academic adviser?

The most common degree for academic advisers is bachelor's degree, with 64% of academic advisers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 26% and master's degree degree at 6%.

Bachelor's, 64%

Master's, 26%

Associate, 6%

Doctorate, 2%

Other Degrees, 2%

What should I major in to become an academic adviser?

You should major in psychology to become an academic adviser. 16% of academic advisers major in psychology. Other common majors for an academic adviser include business and communication.

Psychology, 16%

Business, 15%

Communication, 7%

English, 7%

Other Majors, 55%

Most common colleges for academic advisers

Academic advisers often get their degrees at Liberty University, University of Phoenix, and Arizona State University. Here are the most common colleges for academic advisers in the US based on their resumes.

Academic adviser common college	Percentages
Liberty University	13.28%
University of Phoenix	10.97%
Arizona State University	7.51%
Texas A&M University	5.20%
Florida State University	4.72%

Show more common academic adviser colleges

Best majors for academic advisers

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Psychology	15.8%
2	Business	14.7%
3	Communication	6.7%
4	English	6.6%
5	Education	5.8%

Show more common academic adviser majors

Best colleges for academic advisers

The best colleges for academic advisers are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Johns Hopkins University.

An academic adviser with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for academic advisers. We based this list on several metrics: admissions rate, retention rate, mean earnings of graduates, the ratio of working vs. non-working students ten years after admission, the average cost of attendance, and median debt for graduates who become academic advisers.

1. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

2. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

3. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

In-state tuition

$53,740

Enrollment

5,567

4. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

5. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$50,420

Enrollment

7,582

6. SUNY at Albany

Albany, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$10,011

Enrollment

13,434

7. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

8. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Enrollment

31,503

9. San Diego State University

San Diego, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,488

Enrollment

30,018

10. SUNY College at Oswego

Oswego, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,440

Enrollment

7,039

20 best online courses for academic advisers

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3. Effective Academic Writing: Write Papers that Get Results

4.5

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The what-you-need-to-know course on effective academic writing in the social sciences...

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Learn principles, practices for writing with meaning and clarity to complete your academic writing project on time...

5. Academic English: Writing

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17. Customer Service Fundamentals: Putting People First

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18. IELTS 7 Plus: Complete IELTS Preparation [Academic]

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IELTS Preparation for all sections of the academic IELTS test...

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20. Career Coaching Certification in Career Development Coaching

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Top 10 most affordable universities for academic advisers

The most affordable schools for academic advisers are Baruch College of the City University of New York, california state university - long beach, and california state university - bakersfield.

If the best universities for academic advisers are out of your price range, check out these affordable schools. After factoring in in-state tuition and fees, the average cost of attendance, admissions rate, average net price, and mean earnings after six years, we found that these are the most affordable schools for academic advisers.

1. Baruch College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,262

Cost of attendance

14,046

2. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

3. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

4. Hunter College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,182

Cost of attendance

13,998

5. University of Houston - Victoria

Victoria, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$6,491

Cost of attendance

19,075

6. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

7. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

8. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

9. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

10. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,240

Cost of attendance

13,991

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for academic advisers

The hardest universities for academic advisers to get into are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Johns Hopkins University.

Some great schools for academic advisers are hard to get into, but they also set your career up for greater success. The list below shows the most challenging universities to get into for academic advisers based on an institution's admissions rates, average SAT scores accepted, median ACT scores accepted, and mean earnings of students six years after admission.

1. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,508

2. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,492

3. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

4. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

5. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,520

6. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

7. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

8. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,506

9. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

10. Boston College

Chestnut Hill, MA • Private

Admissions rate

28%

SAT average

1,429

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for academic advisers

The easiest schools for academic advisers to get into are University of North Texas at Dallas, gwynedd mercy university, and barry university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as an academic adviser without much hassle, check out the list of schools where you will be accepted in no time. We compiled admissions rates, average SAT scores, average ACT scores, and average salary of students six years after graduation to uncover which were the easiest schools to get into for academic advisers.

1. University of North Texas at Dallas

Dallas, TX • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

992

2. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

3. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

4. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

5. Ottawa University

Ottawa, KS • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

1,024

6. Kean University

Union, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

991

7. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

8. Holy Family University

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

72%

SAT average

1,017

9. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

10. Our Lady of the Lake University

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

1,002

Average academic adviser salary by education level

Academic advisers with a Doctorate degree earn more than those without, at $51,588 annually. With a Master's degree, academic advisers earn a median annual income of $50,780 compared to $44,677 for academic advisers with an Bachelor's degree.

Academic adviser education level	Academic adviser salary
Master's Degree	$50,780
Bachelor's Degree	$44,677
Doctorate Degree	$51,588

Academic adviser education FAQs

What degree do you need to be an academic advisor?

What is the best college for Academic Advisers?

Have more questions? See all answers to common community and social services questions.

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

Updated January 8, 2025

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