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Admissions Counselor Education Requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become an admissions counselor. Admissions counselors usually study business, psychology, or communication. 75% of admissions counselors hold a bachelor's degree, and 15% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 10,533 real admissions counselor resumes to see exactly what admissions counselor education sections show.

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

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

There are certain admissions counselor certifications that you should consider. These admissions counselor certifications include Pastoral Counseling Certification and Certified Professional Counselor.

What education do you need to become an admissions counselor?

What degree do you need to be an admissions counselor?

The most common degree for admissions counselors is bachelor's degree, with 75% of admissions counselors earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 15% and master's degree degree at 7%.
  • Bachelor's, 75%
  • Master's, 15%
  • Associate, 7%
  • High School Diploma, 2%
  • Other Degrees, 1%

What should I major in to become an admissions counselor?

You should major in business to become an admissions counselor. 21% of admissions counselors major in business. Other common majors for an admissions counselor include psychology and communication.

Most common colleges for admissions counselors

Admissions counselors often get their degrees at University of Phoenix, Ashford University, and San Diego State University. Here are the most common colleges for admissions counselors in the US based on their resumes.
Admissions Counselor Common CollegePercentages
University of Phoenix17.77%
Ashford University13.08%
San Diego State University10.41%
Liberty University7.64%
Florida State University4.70%

Best majors for admissions counselors

RankMajorPercentages
1Business21.0%
2Psychology15.1%
3Communication11.5%
4Political Science5.0%
5English4.7%

Best colleges for admissions counselors

The best colleges for admissions counselors are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Johns Hopkins University.

An admissions 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 admissions 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 admissions 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. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-State Tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

6. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-State Tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

7. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-State Tuition

$6,798

Enrollment

31,503

8. SUNY at Albany

Albany, NY • Private

In-State Tuition

$10,011

Enrollment

13,434

9. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • Private

In-State Tuition

$8,987

Enrollment

18,946

10. University of Virginia

Charlottesville, VA • Private

In-State Tuition

$17,653

Enrollment

16,405

20 best online courses for admissions counselors

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Top 10 most affordable universities for admissions counselors

The most affordable schools for admissions 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 admissions 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 admissions 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. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-State Tuition

$6,556

Cost of Attendance

19,434

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 counselors

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

Some great schools for admissions 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 admissions 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. 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 counselors

The easiest schools for admissions 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 admissions 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 admissions 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. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions Rate

82%

SAT Average

983

6. Kean University

Union, NJ • Private

Admissions Rate

86%

SAT Average

991

7. Holy Family University

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions Rate

72%

SAT Average

1,017

8. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions Rate

68%

SAT Average

964

9. University of North Texas at Dallas

Dallas, TX • Private

Admissions Rate

83%

SAT Average

992

10. Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX • Private

Admissions Rate

98%

SAT Average

1,003

Average admissions counselor salary by education level

Admissions counselors with a Doctorate degree earn more than those without, at $42,839 annually. With a Master's degree, admissions counselors earn a median annual income of $42,253 compared to $37,789 for admissions counselors with an Bachelor's degree.
Admissions Counselor education levelAdmissions Counselor salary
Master's Degree$42,253
Bachelor's Degree$37,789
Doctorate Degree$42,839

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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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