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Alcoholic counselor education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become an alcoholic counselor. Alcoholic counselors usually study psychology, social work, or human services. 49% of alcoholic counselors hold a bachelor's degree, and 28% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 174 real alcoholic counselor resumes to see exactly what alcoholic counselor education sections show.

The most common colleges for alcoholic counselors are the SUNY Buffalo State and the SUNY Buffalo State.

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

What education do you need to become an alcoholic counselor?

What degree do you need to be an alcoholic counselor?

The most common degree for alcoholic counselors is bachelor's degree, with 49% of alcoholic counselors earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 28% and master's degree degree at 16%.
  • Bachelor's, 49%
  • Master's, 28%
  • Associate, 16%
  • High School Diploma, 3%
  • Other Degrees, 4%

What should I major in to become an alcoholic counselor?

You should major in psychology to become an alcoholic counselor. 24% of alcoholic counselors major in psychology. Other common majors for an alcoholic counselor include social work and human services.

Most common colleges for alcoholic counselors

Alcoholic counselors often get their degrees at SUNY Buffalo State, Syracuse University, and California State University - San Bernardino. Here are the most common colleges for alcoholic counselors in the US based on their resumes.
Alcoholic counselor common collegePercentages
SUNY Buffalo State15.63%
Syracuse University6.25%
California State University - San Bernardino6.25%
Loyola University Maryland6.25%
Empire College6.25%

Best majors for alcoholic counselors

RankMajorPercentages
1Psychology24.1%
2Social Work15.5%
3Human Services10.3%
4Sociology9.5%
5School Counseling6.9%

Best colleges for alcoholic counselors

The best colleges for alcoholic counselors are Northwestern University, Johns Hopkins University, and Washington University in St Louis.

An alcoholic 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 alcoholic 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 alcoholic counselors.

1. Hunter College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,182

Enrollment

16,205

2. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Enrollment

31,503

3. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

4. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Enrollment

13,871

5. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$8,987

Enrollment

18,946

6. California State University - Fullerton

Fullerton, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,886

Enrollment

34,637

7. University of Washington

Seattle, WA • Private

In-state tuition

$11,207

Enrollment

30,905

8. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,948

Enrollment

17,238

9. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

10. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

20 best online courses for alcoholic counselors

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5. Addiction Treatment: Clinical Skills for Healthcare Providers

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Top 10 most affordable universities for alcoholic counselors

The most affordable schools for alcoholic 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 alcoholic 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 alcoholic 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. California State University - Fullerton

Fullerton, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,886

Cost of attendance

17,645

5. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

6. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

7. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

8. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

9. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

10. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for alcoholic counselors

The hardest universities for alcoholic counselors to get into are Northwestern University, Johns Hopkins University, and Washington University in St Louis.

Some great schools for alcoholic 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 alcoholic 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. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

3. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,506

4. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,492

5. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

6. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

7. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

6%

SAT average

1,512

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. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for alcoholic counselors

The easiest schools for alcoholic counselors to get into are Notre Dame de Namur University, mount saint mary's university, and wayland baptist university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as an alcoholic 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 alcoholic counselors.

1. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

2. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

3. Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

1,003

4. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

5. Kean University

Union, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

991

6. Ottawa University

Ottawa, KS • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

1,024

7. Nyack College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

999

8. University of North Texas at Dallas

Dallas, TX • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

992

9. Life University

Marietta, GA • Private

Admissions rate

94%

SAT average

979

10. Waynesburg University

Waynesburg, PA • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,080

Average alcoholic counselor salary by education level

According to our data, alcoholic counselors with a Master's degree earn the highest average salary, at $48,706 annually. Alcoholic counselors with a Bachelor's degree earn an average annual salary of $40,993.
Alcoholic counselor education levelAlcoholic counselor salary
Master's Degree$48,706
Bachelor's Degree$40,993

Alcoholic counselor 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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