College adviser vs admissions counselor

The differences between college advisers and admissions counselors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a college adviser has an average salary of $46,038, which is higher than the $39,298 average annual salary of an admissions counselor.

The top three skills for a college adviser include financial aid applications, colleges and professional development. The most important skills for an admissions counselor are customer service, patients, and social work.

College adviser vs admissions counselor overview

	College Adviser	Admissions Counselor
Yearly salary	$46,038	$39,298
Hourly rate	$22.13	$18.89
Growth rate	10%	10%
Number of jobs	16,942	43,413
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 69%	Bachelor's Degree, 75%
Average age	42	42
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 counselor do?

An admissions counselor is the primary point of contact between a university or college and their potential students. One of their primary responsibilities is to represent the school during various events for recruitment purposes, discuss the admission procedures to the students and their families through calls or appointments, and facilitate university tours and orientation among prospective students. Furthermore, they must gather applicants' requirements, verify their authenticity, and determine if they are qualified for the institution. They may also decide student admissions, all while adhering to the college's policies and guidelines.

College adviser vs admissions counselor salary

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

	College Adviser	Admissions Counselor
Average salary	$46,038	$39,298
Salary range	Between $33,000 And $63,000	Between $30,000 And $50,000
Highest paying City	Amherst, MA	San Rafael, CA
Highest paying state	Massachusetts	New Hampshire
Best paying company	New York University	School of Visual Concepts
Best paying industry	-	Professional

Differences between college adviser and admissions counselor education

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

	College Adviser	Admissions Counselor
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 69%	Bachelor's Degree, 75%
Most common major	Psychology	Business
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Pennsylvania

College adviser vs admissions counselor demographics

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

	College Adviser	Admissions Counselor
Average age	42	42
Gender ratio	Male, 39.2% Female, 60.8%	Male, 38.6% Female, 61.4%
Race ratio	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%	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 Percentage	11%	11%

Differences between college adviser and admissions counselor 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.

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Admissions counselor example responsibilities.

Manage applicant and student files electronically within CampusVue software.
Verify insurance HMO, Medicare or Medicaid.
Assist in PV's marketing efforts by reaching out to alumni and community.
Evaluate transcripts, convert quarterly hours to semester hours as necessary, and calculate the GPA.
Receive and execute hundreds of phone calls and e-mails daily from students and parents inquiring about CSU.
Give campus tours to prospective students and families; make phone calls to incoming students for CSU events and admissions follow-up.

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College adviser vs admissions counselor skills

Common college adviser skills

Financial Aid Applications, 16%
Colleges, 13%
Professional Development, 11%
FAFSA, 7%
Admissions Process, 6%
School Administration, 5%

Common admissions counselor skills

Customer Service, 14%
Patients, 13%
Social Work, 8%
Admissions Process, 6%
Phone Calls, 4%
Financial Aid, 4%

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Updated January 8, 2025

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