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Bereavement counselor education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a bereavement counselor. Bereavement counselors usually study psychology, social work, or school counseling. 53% of bereavement counselors hold a bachelor's degree, and 37% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 520 real bereavement counselor resumes to see exactly what bereavement counselor education sections show.
The most common colleges for bereavement counselors are the San Diego State University and the San Diego State University.
There are also many online bereavement counselor courses to help get the education required to be a bereavement counselor.
What education do you need to become a bereavement counselor?
What degree do you need to be a bereavement counselor?
- Bachelor's, 53%
- Master's, 37%
- Associate, 5%
- Doctorate, 2%
- Other Degrees, 3%
What should I major in to become a bereavement counselor?
- Psychology, 21%
- Social Work, 21%
- Theology, 6%
- Other Majors, 44%
Most common colleges for bereavement counselors
| Bereavement counselor common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| San Diego State University | 11.54% |
| University of Phoenix | 7.69% |
| University of South Florida | 6.41% |
| New York University | 6.41% |
| University of Kentucky | 5.13% |
Best majors for bereavement counselors
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Psychology | 21.0% |
| 2 | Social Work | 20.8% |
| 3 | School Counseling | 8.2% |
| 4 | Theology | 6.3% |
| 5 | Human Services | 5.5% |
Best colleges for bereavement counselors
The best colleges for bereavement counselors are Johns Hopkins University, University of Pennsylvania, and Boston College.
A bereavement 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 bereavement 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 bereavement counselors.
1. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
2. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Enrollment
31,503
3. Boston College
Chestnut Hill, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,464
Enrollment
9,639
4. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,182
Enrollment
16,205
5. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Enrollment
18,946
6. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$59,430
Enrollment
8,216
7. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$53,948
Enrollment
17,238
8. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
In-state tuition
$53,740
Enrollment
5,567
9. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
10. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$55,695
Enrollment
6,596
20 best online courses for bereavement counselors
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Top 10 most affordable universities for bereavement counselors
The most affordable schools for bereavement 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 bereavement 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 bereavement 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 - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
6. California State University - Fullerton
Fullerton, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,886
Cost of attendance
17,645
7. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
8. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
9. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
10. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for bereavement counselors
The hardest universities for bereavement counselors to get into are Johns Hopkins University, University of Pennsylvania, and Boston College.
Some great schools for bereavement 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 bereavement 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. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
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. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
8. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
9. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
10. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
Admissions rate
9%
SAT average
1,516
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for bereavement counselors
The easiest schools for bereavement counselors to get into are Barry University, nyack college, and mount saint mary's university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a bereavement 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 bereavement counselors.
1. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
2. Nyack College
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
999
3. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
4. Kean University
Union, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
991
5. Ottawa University
Ottawa, KS • Private
Admissions rate
78%
SAT average
1,024
6. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
7. Texas Woman's University
Denton, TX • Private
Admissions rate
87%
SAT average
1,059
8. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
9. Fresno Pacific University
Fresno, CA • Private
Admissions rate
85%
SAT average
1,053
10. College of New Rochelle, The
New Rochelle, NY • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
982
Average bereavement counselor salary by education level
| Bereavement counselor education level | Bereavement counselor salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $68,594 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $61,404 |
Bereavement counselor education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025