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Adult school counselor education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become an adult school counselor. Adult school counselors usually study psychology, social work, or school counseling. 57% of adult school counselors hold a bachelor's degree, and 26% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 332 real adult school counselor resumes to see exactly what adult school counselor education sections show.
The most common colleges for adult school counselors are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.
There are also many online adult school counselor courses to help get the education required to be an adult school counselor.
There are certain adult school counselor certifications that you should consider. These adult school counselor certifications include Pastoral Counseling Certification and Certified Professional Counselor.
What education do you need to become an adult school counselor?
What degree do you need to be an adult school counselor?
- Bachelor's, 57%
- Master's, 26%
- Associate, 9%
- High School Diploma, 2%
- Other Degrees, 6%
What should I major in to become an adult school counselor?
- Psychology, 25%
- Social Work, 10%
- Business, 6%
- Other Majors, 50%
Most common colleges for adult school counselors
| Adult school counselor common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Phoenix | 8.00% |
| Virginia Union University | 8.00% |
| University of Southern Maine | 6.00% |
| University of South Florida | 6.00% |
| University of Colorado at Boulder | 6.00% |
Best majors for adult school counselors
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Psychology | 25.5% |
| 2 | Social Work | 9.6% |
| 3 | School Counseling | 8.7% |
| 4 | Business | 6.3% |
| 5 | Mental Health Counseling | 5.8% |
Best colleges for adult school counselors
The best colleges for adult school counselors are Johns Hopkins University, University of Pennsylvania, and Boston College.
An adult school 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 adult school 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 adult school counselors.
1. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Enrollment
31,503
2. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
3. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,182
Enrollment
16,205
4. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Enrollment
18,946
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. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
In-state tuition
$53,740
Enrollment
5,567
8. SUNY at Albany
Albany, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$10,011
Enrollment
13,434
9. San Jose State University
San Jose, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,796
Enrollment
27,125
10. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
20 best online courses for adult school counselors
Advertising disclosure
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18. Metacognitive Therapy
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19. Professional Anger & Aggression Counselling Diploma
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20. Certified Spiritual Counselor & Psychology EmpathACCREDITED
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Top 10 most affordable universities for adult school counselors
The most affordable schools for adult school counselors are Hunter College of the City University of New York, baruch college of the city university of new york, and california state university - long beach.
If the best universities for adult school 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 adult school counselors.
1. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,182
Cost of attendance
13,998
2. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,262
Cost of attendance
14,046
3. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
4. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
5. California State University - Fullerton
Fullerton, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,886
Cost of attendance
17,645
6. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
7. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
8. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
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 adult school counselors
The hardest universities for adult school counselors to get into are Johns Hopkins University, University of Pennsylvania, and Boston College.
Some great schools for adult school 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 adult school 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. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
3. Boston College
Chestnut Hill, MA • Private
Admissions rate
28%
SAT average
1,429
4. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
5. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
6. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
7. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
8. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,506
9. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
10. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
Admissions rate
23%
SAT average
1,398
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for adult school counselors
The easiest schools for adult school counselors to get into are Notre Dame de Namur University, kean university, and mount saint mary's university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as an adult school 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 adult school counselors.
1. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
2. Kean University
Union, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
991
3. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
4. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
5. Texas Woman's University
Denton, TX • Private
Admissions rate
87%
SAT average
1,059
6. Ottawa University
Ottawa, KS • Private
Admissions rate
78%
SAT average
1,024
7. College of New Rochelle, The
New Rochelle, NY • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
982
8. Texas A&M University - Kingsville
Kingsville, TX • Private
Admissions rate
89%
SAT average
1,035
9. Nyack College
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
999
10. Fresno Pacific University
Fresno, CA • Private
Admissions rate
85%
SAT average
1,053
Average adult school counselor salary by education level
| Adult school counselor education level | Adult school counselor salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $56,887 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $48,237 |
Adult school counselor education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025