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College adviser vs admissions advisor

The differences between college advisers and admissions advisors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, an admissions advisor has an average salary of $54,192, which is higher than the $46,038 average annual salary of a college adviser.

The top three skills for a college adviser include financial aid applications, colleges and professional development. The most important skills for an admissions advisor are customer service, admissions process, and outbound calls.

College adviser vs admissions advisor overview

College AdviserAdmissions Advisor
Yearly salary$46,038$54,192
Hourly rate$22.13$26.05
Growth rate10%10%
Number of jobs16,94255,433
Job satisfaction-4
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 69%Bachelor's Degree, 68%
Average age4242
Years of experience--

What does a college adviser do?

The main role of a college adviser is to assist students in evaluating and realizing their career and educational options. College advisers offer intensive advising support to their advisees on a regular basis. They help them find their academic interests, determine additional support and information resources, and establish study plans for educational goals. Part of their job is to approve the academic study program of the students. Also, they facilitate the relationships between students and other advisers to career development.

What does an admissions advisor do?

The admissions advisor's work involves meeting with potential students and organizing recruitment events in the admissions offices of colleges and universities. Their tasks also include informing students and families about the application process, requirements for admission, financial aid, and enrollment steps. Moreover, they can answer frequently asked questions about the school to help potential students decide whether it is a good fit. In addition, they may also leave campus to help in promoting the school at college and university fairs.

College adviser vs admissions advisor salary

College advisers and admissions advisors have different pay scales, as shown below.

College AdviserAdmissions Advisor
Average salary$46,038$54,192
Salary rangeBetween $33,000 And $63,000Between $27,000 And $106,000
Highest paying CityAmherst, MAMerced, CA
Highest paying stateMassachusettsCalifornia
Best paying companyNew York UniversityTenet Healthcare
Best paying industry-Education

Differences between college adviser and admissions advisor education

There are a few differences between a college adviser and an admissions advisor in terms of educational background:

College AdviserAdmissions Advisor
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 69%Bachelor's Degree, 68%
Most common majorPsychologyBusiness
Most common collegeUniversity of PennsylvaniaUniversity of Pennsylvania

College adviser vs admissions advisor demographics

Here are the differences between college advisers' and admissions advisors' demographics:

College AdviserAdmissions Advisor
Average age4242
Gender ratioMale, 39.2% Female, 60.8%Male, 44.7% Female, 55.3%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 10.6% Unknown, 3.8% Hispanic or Latino, 14.2% Asian, 3.7% White, 67.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%Black or African American, 10.6% Unknown, 3.8% Hispanic or Latino, 14.2% Asian, 3.7% White, 67.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%
LGBT Percentage11%11%

Differences between college adviser and admissions advisor duties and responsibilities

College adviser example responsibilities.

  • Manage presentations, assemblies, and club meetings to offer services and emphasize the necessity of post-secondary study.
  • Help interview, evaluate, select and mentor AmeriCorps applicants.
  • Communicate with graduating seniors on a regular basis over the summer by phone, Facebook and in person.
  • Utilize a CRM database (Salesforce) to update student contacts and to help leadership team to better support students.
  • Maintain and update student database in Salesforce.
  • Work with supervisor to complete volunteer activities for AmeriCorps.
  • Show more

Admissions advisor example responsibilities.

  • Manage warranty parts inventory levels for the DoD in Kuwait, Guam and Korea
  • Manage Facebook updates to market events, brand FLC and create a virtual community for students.
  • Manage the testing of all new students, verification of transferable credits, and review process for all new applicants.
  • Manage budget development and allocation, consistently maximizing student and NHS opportunities while minimizing costs.
  • Assist in bolstering student retention by providing unparallele service to make sure students are thoroughly satisfy with the complete AIU experience.
  • Serve on campus committees design to enhance the success and persistence of students.
  • Show more

College adviser vs admissions advisor skills

Common college adviser skills
  • Financial Aid Applications, 16%
  • Colleges, 13%
  • Professional Development, 11%
  • FAFSA, 7%
  • Admissions Process, 6%
  • School Administration, 5%
Common admissions advisor skills
  • Customer Service, 17%
  • Admissions Process, 13%
  • Outbound Calls, 9%
  • Enrollment Process, 6%
  • Professional Work, 6%
  • Criminal Justice, 6%

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