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Certified rehabilitation counselor education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a certified rehabilitation counselor. Certified rehabilitation counselors usually study rehabilitation science, psychology, or sociology. 47% of certified rehabilitation counselors hold a master's degree, and 45% hold an bachelor's degree. We analyzed 102 real certified rehabilitation counselor resumes to see exactly what certified rehabilitation counselor education sections show.
The most common colleges for certified rehabilitation counselors are the University of Kentucky and the University of Kentucky.
There are also many online certified rehabilitation counselor courses to help get the education required to be a certified rehabilitation counselor.
There are certain certified rehabilitation counselor certifications that you should consider. These certified rehabilitation counselor certifications include Certified Rehabilitation Counselor (CRC) and Certified Retirement Counselor (CRC).
What education do you need to become a certified rehabilitation counselor?
What degree do you need to be a certified rehabilitation counselor?
- Master's, 47%
- Bachelor's, 45%
- Associate, 6%
- Doctorate, 1%
- Other Degrees, 1%
What should I major in to become a certified rehabilitation counselor?
- Psychology, 15%
- Sociology, 8%
- Other Majors, 35%
Most common colleges for certified rehabilitation counselors
| Certified rehabilitation counselor common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Kentucky | 16.28% |
| Auburn University Main Campus | 11.63% |
| Georgia State University | 9.30% |
| Southern Illinois University Carbondale | 9.30% |
| Assumption College | 4.65% |
Best majors for certified rehabilitation counselors
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rehabilitation Science | 35.7% |
| 2 | Psychology | 15.3% |
| 3 | Sociology | 8.2% |
| 4 | School Counseling | 6.1% |
| 5 | Counseling Psychology | 6.1% |
Best colleges for certified rehabilitation counselors
The best colleges for certified rehabilitation counselors are Northwestern University, Boston University, and Northeastern University.
A certified rehabilitation 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 certified rehabilitation 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 certified rehabilitation counselors.
1. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$53,948
Enrollment
17,238
2. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Enrollment
18,946
3. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
4. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Enrollment
34,564
5. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
6. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Enrollment
31,503
7. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,522
Enrollment
13,760
8. San Diego State University
San Diego, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,488
Enrollment
30,018
9. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Enrollment
32,072
10. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,182
Enrollment
16,205
20 best online courses for certified rehabilitation counselors
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Top 10 most affordable universities for certified rehabilitation counselors
The most affordable schools for certified rehabilitation counselors are Baruch College of the City University of New York, university of florida, and hunter college of the city university of new york.
If the best universities for certified rehabilitation 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 certified rehabilitation 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. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
3. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,182
Cost of attendance
13,998
4. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
5. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
6. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
7. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
8. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
9. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
10. California State University - Fresno
Fresno, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,587
Cost of attendance
16,915
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for certified rehabilitation counselors
The hardest universities for certified rehabilitation counselors to get into are Northwestern University, Boston University, and Northeastern University.
Some great schools for certified rehabilitation 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 certified rehabilitation 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. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
3. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
4. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
5. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
6. Southern Methodist University
Dallas, TX • Private
Admissions rate
51%
SAT average
1,395
7. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
Admissions rate
23%
SAT average
1,398
8. University of Miami
Coral Gables, FL • Private
Admissions rate
32%
SAT average
1,365
9. George Washington University, The
Washington, DC • Private
Admissions rate
42%
SAT average
1,380
10. Loyola Marymount University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
47%
SAT average
1,321
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for certified rehabilitation counselors
The easiest schools for certified rehabilitation counselors to get into are Notre Dame de Namur University, mount saint mary's university, and ottawa university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a certified rehabilitation 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 certified rehabilitation 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. Ottawa University
Ottawa, KS • Private
Admissions rate
78%
SAT average
1,024
4. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
5. Marymount University
Arlington, VA • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,065
6. Kean University
Union, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
991
7. Texas Woman's University
Denton, TX • Private
Admissions rate
87%
SAT average
1,059
8. AdventHealth University
Orlando, FL • Private
Admissions rate
87%
SAT average
1,016
9. College of New Rochelle, The
New Rochelle, NY • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
982
10. Rosemont College
Rosemont, PA • Private
Admissions rate
89%
SAT average
1,026
Average certified rehabilitation counselor salary by education level
| Certified rehabilitation counselor education level | Certified rehabilitation counselor salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $44,220 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $39,525 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $41,545 |
Certified rehabilitation counselor education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025