Camp counselor education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a camp counselor. Camp counselors usually study psychology, business, or kinesiology. 66% of camp counselors hold a bachelor's degree, and 16% hold an high school diploma. We analyzed 100,884 real camp counselor resumes to see exactly what camp counselor education sections show.

The most common colleges for camp counselors are the Pennsylvania State University and the Pennsylvania State University.

There are also many online camp counselor courses to help get the education required to be a camp counselor.

There are certain camp counselor certifications that you should consider. These camp counselor certifications include First Aid, CPR and AED Instructor and OSHA Safety Certificate .

What education do you need to become a camp counselor?

What degree do you need to be a camp counselor?

The most common degree for camp counselors is bachelor's degree, with 66% of camp counselors earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are high school diploma degree at 16% and high school diploma degree at 10%.

Bachelor's, 66%

High School Diploma, 16%

Associate, 10%

Master's, 5%

Other Degrees, 3%

What should I major in to become a camp counselor?

You should major in psychology to become a camp counselor. 16% of camp counselors major in psychology. Other common majors for a camp counselor include business and kinesiology.

Psychology, 16%

Business, 11%

Kinesiology, 7%

Communication, 7%

Other Majors, 59%

Most common colleges for camp counselors

Camp counselors often get their degrees at Pennsylvania State University, Florida State University, and University of North Carolina at Greensboro. Here are the most common colleges for camp counselors in the US based on their resumes.

Camp counselor common college	Percentages
Pennsylvania State University	7.34%
Florida State University	7.22%
University of North Carolina at Greensboro	6.46%
Liberty University	6.10%
Temple University	5.83%

Show more common camp counselor colleges

Best majors for camp counselors

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Psychology	15.5%
2	Business	10.8%
3	Kinesiology	7.3%
4	Communication	6.8%
5	Biology	5.2%

Show more common camp counselor majors

Best colleges for camp counselors

The best colleges for camp counselors are Northwestern University, Stanford University, and Johns Hopkins University.

A camp 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 camp 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 camp counselors.

1. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

2. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$9,808

Enrollment

13,990

3. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

4. SUNY Stony Brook

Stony Brook, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$9,625

Enrollment

17,407

5. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

6. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$55,695

Enrollment

6,596

7. Howard University

Washington, DC • Private

In-state tuition

$26,756

Enrollment

6,166

8. SUNY at Albany

Albany, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$10,011

Enrollment

13,434

9. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

10. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, MI • Private

In-state tuition

$15,262

Enrollment

30,079

20 best online courses for camp counselors

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Top 10 most affordable universities for camp counselors

The most affordable schools for camp counselors are Baruch College of the City University of New York, california state university - bakersfield, and california state university - long beach.

If the best universities for camp 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 camp 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 - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

3. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

4. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

5. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

6. USF Sarasota-Manatee

Sarasota, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,587

Cost of attendance

13,043

7. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

8. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,240

Cost of attendance

13,991

9. Hunter College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,182

Cost of attendance

13,998

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 camp counselors

The hardest universities for camp counselors to get into are Northwestern University, Stanford University, and Johns Hopkins University.

Some great schools for camp 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 camp 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

SAT average

1,508

2. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,497

3. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

4. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,516

5. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

17%

SAT average

1,507

6. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,506

7. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

8. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,492

9. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,512

10. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

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

The easiest schools for camp counselors to get into are Bluefield College, notre dame de namur university, and oklahoma wesleyan university.

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

1. Bluefield College

Bluefield, VA • Private

Admissions rate

95%

SAT average

980

2. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

3. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

4. Life University

Marietta, GA • Private

Admissions rate

94%

SAT average

979

5. D'Youville College

Buffalo, NY • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,072

6. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

7. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

8. Kean University

Union, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

991

9. Holy Family University

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

72%

SAT average

1,017

10. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

Average camp counselor salary by education level

According to our data, camp counselors with a Master's degree earn the highest average salary, at $29,227 annually. Camp counselors with a Bachelor's degree earn an average annual salary of $27,800.

Camp counselor education level	Camp counselor salary
Master's Degree	$29,227
High School Diploma or Less	$23,238
Bachelor's Degree	$27,800
Some College/ Associate Degree	$26,049

Camp counselor education FAQs

What is the best college for Camp Counselors?

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Updated January 8, 2025

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.

Updated January 8, 2025

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