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Christian counselor education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a christian counselor. Christian counselors usually study psychology, school counseling, or theology. 50% of christian counselors hold a bachelor's degree, and 23% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 180 real christian counselor resumes to see exactly what christian counselor education sections show.
The most common colleges for christian counselors are the Liberty University and the Liberty University.
There are also many online christian counselor courses to help get the education required to be a christian counselor.
What education do you need to become a christian counselor?
What degree do you need to be a christian counselor?
- Bachelor's, 50%
- Master's, 23%
- Associate, 16%
- Doctorate, 5%
- Other Degrees, 6%
What should I major in to become a christian counselor?
- Psychology, 17%
- School Counseling, 12%
- Theology, 12%
- Social Work, 8%
- Other Majors, 51%
Most common colleges for christian counselors
| Christian counselor common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Liberty University | 27.03% |
| Wichita State University | 8.11% |
| Southern University and A & M College | 8.11% |
| Randolph-Macon College | 5.41% |
| Barry University | 5.41% |
Best majors for christian counselors
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Psychology | 17.1% |
| 2 | School Counseling | 11.7% |
| 3 | Theology | 11.7% |
| 4 | Social Work | 8.1% |
| 5 | Business | 7.2% |
Best colleges for christian counselors
The best colleges for christian counselors are Harvard University, Vanderbilt University, and Johns Hopkins University.
A christian 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 christian 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 christian counselors.
1. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
2. Boston College
Chestnut Hill, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,464
Enrollment
9,639
3. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$53,948
Enrollment
17,238
4. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
In-state tuition
$53,740
Enrollment
5,567
5. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
In-state tuition
$49,816
Enrollment
6,840
6. Fordham University
Bronx, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$52,687
Enrollment
9,392
7. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
8. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Enrollment
31,503
9. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Enrollment
18,946
10. University of Virginia
Charlottesville, VA • Private
In-state tuition
$17,653
Enrollment
16,405
20 best online courses for christian counselors
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Top 10 most affordable universities for christian counselors
The most affordable schools for christian counselors are Baruch College of the City University of New York, hunter college of the city university of new york, and california state university - long beach.
If the best universities for christian 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 christian 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. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,182
Cost of attendance
13,998
3. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
4. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
5. Queens College of the City University of New York
Queens, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,338
Cost of attendance
14,281
6. University of Houston - Victoria
Victoria, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$6,491
Cost of attendance
19,075
7. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
8. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
9. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
10. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for christian counselors
The hardest universities for christian counselors to get into are Harvard University, Vanderbilt University, and Johns Hopkins University.
Some great schools for christian 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 christian 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. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
2. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
3. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
4. Boston College
Chestnut Hill, MA • Private
Admissions rate
28%
SAT average
1,429
5. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
6. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
7. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
8. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,506
9. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
10. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for christian counselors
The easiest schools for christian counselors to get into are Barry University, nyack college, and oklahoma wesleyan university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a christian 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 christian 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. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
4. Ottawa University
Ottawa, KS • Private
Admissions rate
78%
SAT average
1,024
5. University of North Texas at Dallas
Dallas, TX • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
992
6. Gwynedd Mercy University
Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,031
7. University of the Incarnate Word
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,044
8. Holy Names University
Oakland, CA • Private
Admissions rate
70%
SAT average
849
9. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
10. Kean University
Union, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
991
Average christian counselor salary by education level
| Christian counselor education level | Christian counselor salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $40,168 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $31,666 |
| Doctorate Degree | $41,363 |
Christian counselor education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025