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Correctional counselor/case manager education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a correctional counselor/case manager. Correctional counselor/case managers usually study criminal justice, psychology, or social work. 60% of correctional counselor/case managers hold a bachelor's degree, and 26% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 57 real correctional counselor/case manager resumes to see exactly what correctional counselor/case manager education sections show.

The most common colleges for correctional counselor/case managers are the Northern Michigan University and the Northern Michigan University.

There are also many online correctional counselor/case manager courses to help get the education required to be a correctional counselor/case manager.

What education do you need to become a correctional counselor/case manager?

What degree do you need to be a correctional counselor/case manager?

The most common degree for correctional counselor/case managers is bachelor's degree, with 60% of correctional counselor/case managers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 26% and associate degree degree at 5%.
  • Bachelor's, 60%
  • Associate, 26%
  • Master's, 5%
  • Diploma, 5%
  • Other Degrees, 4%

What should I major in to become a correctional counselor/case manager?

You should major in criminal justice to become a correctional counselor/case manager. 29% of correctional counselor/case managers major in criminal justice. Other common majors for a correctional counselor/case manager include psychology and social work.

Most common colleges for correctional counselor/case managers

Correctional counselor/case managers often get their degrees at Northern Michigan University, Lane College, and Bluefield College. Here are the most common colleges for correctional counselor/case managers in the US based on their resumes.
Correctional counselor/case manager common collegePercentages
Northern Michigan University9.09%
Lane College9.09%
Bluefield College4.55%
North Central College4.55%
Alcorn State University4.55%

Best majors for correctional counselor/case managers

RankMajorPercentages
1Criminal Justice28.9%
2Psychology15.6%
3Social Work11.1%
4School Counseling4.4%
5Liberal Arts4.4%

Best colleges for correctional counselor/case managers

The best colleges for correctional counselor/case managers are University of Pennsylvania, Northwestern University, and New York University.

A correctional counselor/case manager with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for correctional counselor/case managers. 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 correctional counselor/case managers.

1. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

2. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Enrollment

31,503

3. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$8,987

Enrollment

18,946

4. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$9,808

Enrollment

13,990

5. San Diego State University

San Diego, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,488

Enrollment

30,018

6. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,948

Enrollment

17,238

7. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

8. Pennsylvania State University

University Park, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$18,454

Enrollment

40,108

9. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Enrollment

9,142

10. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Enrollment

13,871

20 best online courses for correctional counselor/case managers

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Top 10 most affordable universities for correctional counselor/case managers

The most affordable schools for correctional counselor/case managers are California State University - Long Beach, california state university - bakersfield, and hunter college of the city university of new york.

If the best universities for correctional counselor/case managers 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 correctional counselor/case managers.

1. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

2. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

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. Baruch College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,262

Cost of attendance

14,046

5. California State University - Fullerton

Fullerton, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,886

Cost of attendance

17,645

6. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

7. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

8. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

9. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

10. California State University - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,749

Cost of attendance

14,823

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for correctional counselor/case managers

The hardest universities for correctional counselor/case managers to get into are University of Pennsylvania, Northwestern University, and New York University.

Some great schools for correctional counselor/case managers 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 correctional counselor/case managers 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. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,492

2. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,508

3. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

4. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

5. Boston College

Chestnut Hill, MA • Private

Admissions rate

28%

SAT average

1,429

6. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

7. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

8. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

6%

SAT average

1,512

9. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

10. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • Private

Admissions rate

23%

SAT average

1,398

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for correctional counselor/case managers

The easiest schools for correctional counselor/case managers to get into are Nyack College, kean university, and mount saint mary's university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a correctional counselor/case manager 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 correctional counselor/case managers.

1. Nyack College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

999

2. Kean University

Union, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

991

3. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

4. Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

1,003

5. Felician University

Lodi, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

999

6. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

7. Texas Woman's University

Denton, TX • Private

Admissions rate

87%

SAT average

1,059

8. Ottawa University

Ottawa, KS • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

1,024

9. Fresno Pacific University

Fresno, CA • Private

Admissions rate

85%

SAT average

1,053

10. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

Average correctional counselor/case manager salary by education level

According to our data, correctional counselor/case managers with a Master's degree earn the highest average salary, at $41,878 annually. Correctional counselor/case managers with a Bachelor's degree earn an average annual salary of $33,893.
Correctional counselor/case manager education levelCorrectional counselor/case manager salary
Master's Degree$41,878
Bachelor's Degree$33,893

Correctional counselor/case manager education FAQs

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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