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Corrections counselor education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a corrections counselor. Corrections counselors usually study criminal justice, psychology, or business. 61% of corrections counselors hold a bachelor's degree, and 16% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 1,778 real corrections counselor resumes to see exactly what corrections counselor education sections show.
The most common colleges for corrections counselors are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.
There are also many online corrections counselor courses to help get the education required to be a corrections counselor.
There are certain corrections counselor certifications that you should consider. These corrections counselor certifications include Certified Corrections Manager (CCM) and Pastoral Counseling Certification.
What education do you need to become a corrections counselor?
What degree do you need to be a corrections counselor?
- Bachelor's, 61%
- Master's, 16%
- Associate, 15%
- High School Diploma, 5%
- Other Degrees, 3%
What should I major in to become a corrections counselor?
- Criminal Justice, 35%
- Psychology, 13%
- Business, 8%
- Sociology, 8%
- Other Majors, 36%
Most common colleges for corrections counselors
| Corrections counselor common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Phoenix | 16.42% |
| Marshall University | 9.95% |
| Mississippi Valley State University | 6.47% |
| Temple University | 4.98% |
| West Virginia University | 4.98% |
Best majors for corrections counselors
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Criminal Justice | 35.4% |
| 2 | Psychology | 13.0% |
| 3 | Business | 8.2% |
| 4 | Sociology | 7.9% |
| 5 | Social Work | 7.9% |
Best colleges for corrections counselors
The best colleges for corrections counselors are Boston College, Johns Hopkins University, and Boston University.
A corrections 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 corrections 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 corrections counselors.
1. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Enrollment
31,503
2. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Enrollment
18,946
3. SUNY at Albany
Albany, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$10,011
Enrollment
13,434
4. San Jose State University
San Jose, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,796
Enrollment
27,125
5. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
6. San Diego State University
San Diego, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,488
Enrollment
30,018
7. Boston College
Chestnut Hill, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,464
Enrollment
9,639
8. Pennsylvania State University
University Park, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$18,454
Enrollment
40,108
9. University of Maryland - College Park
College Park, MD • Private
In-state tuition
$10,595
Enrollment
30,184
10. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Enrollment
13,871
20 best online courses for corrections counselors
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Top 10 most affordable universities for corrections counselors
The most affordable schools for corrections counselors are California State University - Long Beach, hunter college of the city university of new york, and baruch college of the city university of new york.
If the best universities for corrections 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 corrections counselors.
1. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
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. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,262
Cost of attendance
14,046
4. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
5. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
6. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
7. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
8. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
9. University of Houston - Victoria
Victoria, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$6,491
Cost of attendance
19,075
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 corrections counselors
The hardest universities for corrections counselors to get into are Boston College, Johns Hopkins University, and Boston University.
Some great schools for corrections 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 corrections 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. Boston College
Chestnut Hill, MA • Private
Admissions rate
28%
SAT average
1,429
2. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
3. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
4. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
5. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,506
6. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
7. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
8. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
Admissions rate
23%
SAT average
1,398
9. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
10. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for corrections counselors
The easiest schools for corrections counselors to get into are Gwynedd Mercy University, university of north texas at dallas, and barry university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a corrections 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 corrections counselors.
1. Gwynedd Mercy University
Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,031
2. University of North Texas at Dallas
Dallas, TX • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
992
3. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
4. Kean University
Union, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
991
5. Texas Woman's University
Denton, TX • Private
Admissions rate
87%
SAT average
1,059
6. Ottawa University
Ottawa, KS • Private
Admissions rate
78%
SAT average
1,024
7. Our Lady of the Lake University
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
1,002
8. Nyack College
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
999
9. College of New Rochelle, The
New Rochelle, NY • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
982
10. Holy Family University
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
72%
SAT average
1,017
Average corrections counselor salary by education level
| Corrections counselor education level | Corrections counselor salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $53,486 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $46,552 |
| Doctorate Degree | $54,410 |
Corrections 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