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College counselor education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a college counselor. College counselors usually study psychology, school counseling, or education. 60% of college counselors hold a bachelor's degree, and 31% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 1,026 real college counselor resumes to see exactly what college counselor education sections show.
The most common colleges for college counselors are the New York University and the New York University.
There are also many online college counselor courses to help get the education required to be a college counselor.
There are certain college counselor certifications that you should consider. These college counselor certifications include Pastoral Counseling Certification and National Certified Counselor (NCC).
What education do you need to become a college counselor?
What degree do you need to be a college counselor?
- Bachelor's, 60%
- Master's, 31%
- Associate, 4%
- High School Diploma, 2%
- Other Degrees, 3%
What should I major in to become a college counselor?
- Psychology, 19%
- School Counseling, 12%
- Education, 9%
- English, 7%
- Other Majors, 53%
Most common colleges for college counselors
| College counselor common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| New York University | 12.31% |
| California State University - San Bernardino | 6.92% |
| University of Southern California | 6.15% |
| Harvard University | 6.15% |
| University of California, Santa Barbara | 6.15% |
Best majors for college counselors
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Psychology | 18.8% |
| 2 | School Counseling | 11.9% |
| 3 | Education | 9.2% |
| 4 | English | 7.3% |
| 5 | Sociology | 6.1% |
Best colleges for college counselors
The best colleges for college counselors are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Johns Hopkins University.
A college 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 college 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 college counselors.
1. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
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. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
5. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
In-state tuition
$53,740
Enrollment
5,567
6. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
7. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Enrollment
31,503
8. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$59,430
Enrollment
8,216
9. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
In-state tuition
$49,816
Enrollment
6,840
10. University of Maryland - College Park
College Park, MD • Private
In-state tuition
$10,595
Enrollment
30,184
20 best online courses for college counselors
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Top 10 most affordable universities for college counselors
The most affordable schools for college counselors are Baruch College of the City University of New York, california state university - long beach, and hunter college of the city university of new york.
If the best universities for college 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 college 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 - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
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. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
5. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
6. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
7. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
8. University of Houston - Victoria
Victoria, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$6,491
Cost of attendance
19,075
9. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Cost of attendance
25,527
10. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for college counselors
The hardest universities for college counselors to get into are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Johns Hopkins University.
Some great schools for college 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 college 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. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
3. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
4. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
5. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
6. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
7. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
8. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
9. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
10. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for college counselors
The easiest schools for college counselors to get into are Barry University, gwynedd mercy university, and mount saint mary's university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a college 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 college counselors.
1. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
2. Gwynedd Mercy University
Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,031
3. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
4. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
5. Ottawa University
Ottawa, KS • Private
Admissions rate
78%
SAT average
1,024
6. University of North Texas at Dallas
Dallas, TX • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
992
7. Felician University
Lodi, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
81%
SAT average
999
8. Holy Names University
Oakland, CA • Private
Admissions rate
70%
SAT average
849
9. Holy Family University
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
72%
SAT average
1,017
10. Texas Woman's University
Denton, TX • Private
Admissions rate
87%
SAT average
1,059
Average college counselor salary by education level
| College counselor education level | College counselor salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $50,229 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $43,852 |
| Doctorate Degree | $51,077 |
College counselor education FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common community and social services questions.
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025