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Adoption counselor education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become an adoption counselor. Adoption counselors usually study psychology, business, or social work. 56% of adoption counselors hold a bachelor's degree, and 16% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 1,643 real adoption counselor resumes to see exactly what adoption counselor education sections show.
The most common colleges for adoption counselors are the Pennsylvania State University and the Pennsylvania State University.
There are also many online adoption counselor courses to help get the education required to be an adoption counselor.
What education do you need to become an adoption counselor?
What degree do you need to be an adoption counselor?
- Bachelor's, 56%
- Associate, 16%
- High School Diploma, 14%
- Master's, 8%
- Other Degrees, 6%
What should I major in to become an adoption counselor?
- Psychology, 17%
- Business, 10%
- Social Work, 10%
- Biology, 7%
- Other Majors, 56%
Most common colleges for adoption counselors
| Adoption counselor common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Pennsylvania State University | 8.04% |
| University of South Florida | 7.14% |
| Virginia Commonwealth University | 6.25% |
| Arizona State University | 5.36% |
| University of Pennsylvania | 5.36% |
Best majors for adoption counselors
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Psychology | 16.9% |
| 2 | Business | 10.5% |
| 3 | Social Work | 9.8% |
| 4 | Biology | 6.9% |
| 5 | Criminal Justice | 6.3% |
Best colleges for adoption counselors
The best colleges for adoption counselors are Johns Hopkins University, Northwestern University, and Vanderbilt University.
An adoption 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 adoption 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 adoption counselors.
1. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
In-state tuition
$53,740
Enrollment
5,567
2. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Enrollment
31,503
3. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
4. University of Maryland - College Park
College Park, MD • Private
In-state tuition
$10,595
Enrollment
30,184
5. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
6. Clemson University
Clemson, SC • Private
In-state tuition
$15,374
Enrollment
19,564
7. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
8. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Enrollment
18,946
9. University of Virginia
Charlottesville, VA • Private
In-state tuition
$17,653
Enrollment
16,405
10. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
20 best online courses for adoption counselors
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Top 10 most affordable universities for adoption counselors
The most affordable schools for adoption counselors are Baruch College of the City University of New York, hunter college of the city university of new york, and california state university - long beach.
If the best universities for adoption 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 adoption 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. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,182
Cost of attendance
13,998
3. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
4. University of Houston - Victoria
Victoria, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$6,491
Cost of attendance
19,075
5. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
6. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
7. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
8. Queens College of the City University of New York
Queens, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,338
Cost of attendance
14,281
9. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
10. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for adoption counselors
The hardest universities for adoption counselors to get into are Johns Hopkins University, Northwestern University, and Vanderbilt University.
Some great schools for adoption 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 adoption 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. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
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. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,506
6. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
7. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
8. Boston College
Chestnut Hill, MA • Private
Admissions rate
28%
SAT average
1,429
9. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
10. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for adoption counselors
The easiest schools for adoption counselors 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 adoption 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 adoption counselors.
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. 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. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
7. Holy Family University
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
72%
SAT average
1,017
8. Our Lady of the Lake University
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
1,002
9. Texas Woman's University
Denton, TX • Private
Admissions rate
87%
SAT average
1,059
10. Life University
Marietta, GA • Private
Admissions rate
94%
SAT average
979
Average adoption counselor salary by education level
| Adoption counselor education level | Adoption counselor salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $33,729 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $29,914 |
| Doctorate Degree | $34,232 |
Adoption counselor education FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common community and social services questions.
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025