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Academic counselor education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become an academic counselor. Academic counselors usually study business, psychology, or communication. 66% of academic counselors hold a bachelor's degree, and 26% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 2,609 real academic counselor resumes to see exactly what academic counselor education sections show.
The most common colleges for academic counselors are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.
There are also many online academic counselor courses to help get the education required to be an academic counselor.
There are certain academic counselor certifications that you should consider. These academic counselor certifications include Certified Professional - Human Resource (IPMA-CP) and Pastoral Counseling Certification.
What education do you need to become an academic counselor?
What degree do you need to be an academic counselor?
- Bachelor's, 66%
- Master's, 26%
- Associate, 4%
- Doctorate, 2%
- Other Degrees, 2%
What should I major in to become an academic counselor?
- Business, 18%
- Psychology, 17%
- Communication, 7%
- Other Majors, 52%
Most common colleges for academic counselors
| Academic counselor common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Phoenix | 37.45% |
| Arizona State University | 23.44% |
| Northern Arizona University | 6.38% |
| University of Arizona | 4.30% |
| University of California - Davis | 3.19% |
Best majors for academic counselors
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Business | 18.1% |
| 2 | Psychology | 17.5% |
| 3 | Communication | 6.6% |
| 4 | School Counseling | 6.0% |
| 5 | Education | 5.2% |
Best colleges for academic counselors
The best colleges for academic counselors are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Johns Hopkins University.
An academic counselor 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 counselors. 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 counselors.
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. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
4. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
In-state tuition
$53,740
Enrollment
5,567
5. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$53,948
Enrollment
17,238
6. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
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. SUNY at Albany
Albany, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$10,011
Enrollment
13,434
10. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Enrollment
18,946
20 best online courses for academic counselors
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3. Effective Academic Writing: Write Papers that Get Results
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The skills taught in this Specialization will empower you to succeed in any college-level course or professional field. You’ll learn to conduct rigorous academic research and to express your ideas clearly in an academic format. In the final Capstone Project, all the knowledge that you’ve gained over the span of these courses will culminate into an academic research paper on an issue of your choice...
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19. IELTS 7 Plus: Complete IELTS Preparation [Academic]
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Top 10 most affordable universities for academic counselors
The most affordable schools for academic counselors 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 counselors 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 counselors.
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 Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
6. University of Houston - Victoria
Victoria, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$6,491
Cost of attendance
19,075
7. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
8. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
9. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
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 counselors
The hardest universities for academic counselors to get into are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Johns Hopkins University.
Some great schools for academic counselors 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 counselors 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
8%
SAT average
1,508
2. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
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
5%
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 counselors
The easiest schools for academic counselors to get into are Gwynedd Mercy University, barry university, and holy names university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as an academic counselor 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 counselors.
1. Gwynedd Mercy University
Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,031
2. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
3. Holy Names University
Oakland, CA • Private
Admissions rate
70%
SAT average
849
4. Ottawa University
Ottawa, KS • Private
Admissions rate
78%
SAT average
1,024
5. Kean University
Union, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
991
6. Holy Family University
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
72%
SAT average
1,017
7. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
8. University of North Texas at Dallas
Dallas, TX • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
992
9. Our Lady of the Lake University
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
1,002
10. Texas Woman's University
Denton, TX • Private
Admissions rate
87%
SAT average
1,059
Average academic counselor salary by education level
| Academic counselor education level | Academic counselor salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $51,599 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $45,354 |
| Doctorate Degree | $52,427 |
Academic counselor education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025