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Admissions advisor education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become an admissions advisor. Admissions advisors usually study business, communication, or psychology. 68% of admissions advisors hold a bachelor's degree, and 13% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 7,874 real admissions advisor resumes to see exactly what admissions advisor education sections show.

The most common colleges for admissions advisors are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.

There are also many online admissions advisor courses to help get the education required to be an admissions advisor.

There are certain admissions advisor certifications that you should consider. These admissions advisor certifications include Certified Professional - Human Resource (IPMA-CP) and Certified Sales Professional (CSP).

What education do you need to become an admissions advisor?

What degree do you need to be an admissions advisor?

The most common degree for admissions advisors is bachelor's degree, with 68% of admissions advisors earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 13% and associate degree degree at 12%.
  • Bachelor's, 68%
  • Associate, 13%
  • Master's, 12%
  • High School Diploma, 3%
  • Other Degrees, 4%

What should I major in to become an admissions advisor?

You should major in business to become an admissions advisor. 32% of admissions advisors major in business. Other common majors for an admissions advisor include communication and psychology.

Most common colleges for admissions advisors

Admissions advisors often get their degrees at University of Phoenix, DeVry University, and American InterContinental University. Here are the most common colleges for admissions advisors in the US based on their resumes.
Admissions advisor common collegePercentages
University of Phoenix17.18%
DeVry University8.55%
American InterContinental University8.06%
Northern Illinois University7.26%
Colorado Technical University5.65%

Best majors for admissions advisors

RankMajorPercentages
1Business32.4%
2Communication9.7%
3Psychology8.8%
4Marketing6.4%
5Management4.7%

Best colleges for admissions advisors

The best colleges for admissions advisors are University of Pennsylvania, Northwestern University, and Vanderbilt University.

An admissions advisor with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for admissions advisors. 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 admissions advisors.

1. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

2. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

3. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$50,420

Enrollment

7,582

4. San Diego State University

San Diego, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,488

Enrollment

30,018

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 North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$8,987

Enrollment

18,946

8. University of Virginia

Charlottesville, VA • Private

In-state tuition

$17,653

Enrollment

16,405

9. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

10. SUNY at Albany

Albany, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$10,011

Enrollment

13,434

20 best online courses for admissions advisors

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Top 10 most affordable universities for admissions advisors

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

If the best universities for admissions advisors 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 admissions advisors.

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 - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

3. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

4. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

5. University of Houston - Victoria

Victoria, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$6,491

Cost of attendance

19,075

6. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

7. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

8. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

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 admissions advisors

The hardest universities for admissions advisors to get into are University of Pennsylvania, Northwestern University, and Vanderbilt University.

Some great schools for admissions advisors 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 admissions advisors 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. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,492

2. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,508

3. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

4. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

5%

SAT average

1,520

5. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

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. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

9. Boston College

Chestnut Hill, MA • Private

Admissions rate

28%

SAT average

1,429

10. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for admissions advisors

The easiest schools for admissions advisors 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 admissions advisor 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 admissions advisors.

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. 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. Our Lady of the Lake University

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

1,002

9. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

10. Texas Woman's University

Denton, TX • Private

Admissions rate

87%

SAT average

1,059

Average admissions advisor salary by education level

According to our data, admissions advisors with a Doctorate degree earn the highest average salary, at $68,501 annually. Admissions advisors with a Master's degree earn an average annual salary of $65,986.
Admissions advisor education levelAdmissions advisor salary
Master's Degree$65,986
Bachelor's Degree$48,723
Doctorate Degree$68,501

Admissions advisor education FAQs

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
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.

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