Counseling center director education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a counseling center director. Counseling center directors usually study psychology, social work, or business. 57% of counseling center directors hold a bachelor's degree, and 19% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 561 real counseling center director resumes to see exactly what counseling center director education sections show.

The most common colleges for counseling center directors are the New York University and the New York University.

There are also many online counseling center director courses to help get the education required to be a counseling center director.

There are certain counseling center director certifications that you should consider. These counseling center director certifications include Certified Professional Counselor and Certified Nurse Assistant (CNA).

What education do you need to become a counseling center director?

What degree do you need to be a counseling center director?

The most common degree for counseling center directors is bachelor's degree, with 57% of counseling center directors earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 19% and master's degree degree at 12%.

Bachelor's, 57%

Master's, 19%

Associate, 12%

High School Diploma, 5%

Other Degrees, 7%

What should I major in to become a counseling center director?

You should major in psychology to become a counseling center director. 24% of counseling center directors major in psychology. Other common majors for a counseling center director include social work and business.

Psychology, 24%

Social Work, 9%

Business, 9%

Sociology, 7%

Other Majors, 51%

Most common colleges for counseling center directors

Counseling center directors often get their degrees at New York University, Temple University, and Pennsylvania State University. Here are the most common colleges for counseling center directors in the US based on their resumes.

Counseling center director common college	Percentages
New York University	10.00%
Temple University	7.14%
Pennsylvania State University	7.14%
Brigham Young University	5.71%
University of Phoenix	5.71%

Show more common counseling center director colleges

Best majors for counseling center directors

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Psychology	24.0%
2	Social Work	9.4%
3	Business	8.8%
4	Sociology	7.1%
5	Criminal Justice	6.2%

Show more common counseling center director majors

Best colleges for counseling center directors

The best colleges for counseling center directors are Northwestern University, Johns Hopkins University, and University of Pennsylvania.

A counseling center director with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for counseling center directors. 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 counseling center directors.

1. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

2. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

3. University of Washington

Seattle, WA • Private

In-state tuition

$11,207

Enrollment

30,905

4. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

5. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$50,420

Enrollment

7,582

6. Pennsylvania State University

University Park, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$18,454

Enrollment

40,108

7. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Enrollment

13,871

8. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$59,430

Enrollment

8,216

9. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

In-state tuition

$53,740

Enrollment

5,567

10. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, MI • Private

In-state tuition

$15,262

Enrollment

30,079

20 best online courses for counseling center directors

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3. [Accredited] Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) Counselor

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Learn DBT in depth, start conducting sessions with ready to use templates, and set up counseling practice within weeks!...

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6. Getting Started with Call Center Training

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7. Abnormal Behavior & Clinical Psychology (Certificate)

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Online Counselling & Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) Training Course...

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14. How to Help Family Members or Friends with Mental Illness

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Practical Counseling Skills to help children, family or friends with Depression, Anxiety, or Other Mental Illness...

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16. Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) - ACCREDITED CERTIFICATE

4.5

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Counselling and psychology approaches, theoretical knowledge and practice for counsellors to be, work from home / online...

17. Person-Centred Counselling Certificate

4.6

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20. Depression Counselling Diploma: Advanced Level - ACCREDITED

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Counselling and psychology approaches, theoretical knowledge and practice for counsellors to be, work from home / online...

Top 10 most affordable universities for counseling center directors

The most affordable schools for counseling center directors are Hunter College of the City University of New York, baruch college of the city university of new york, and california state university - bakersfield.

If the best universities for counseling center directors 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 counseling center directors.

1. Hunter College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,182

Cost of attendance

13,998

2. Baruch College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,262

Cost of attendance

14,046

3. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

4. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

5. California State University - Fullerton

Fullerton, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,886

Cost of attendance

17,645

6. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

7. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

8. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

9. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

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 counseling center directors

The hardest universities for counseling center directors to get into are Northwestern University, Johns Hopkins University, and University of Pennsylvania.

Some great schools for counseling center directors 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 counseling center directors 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

SAT average

1,508

2. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

3. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,492

4. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,512

5. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,520

6. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

7. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

8. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,506

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 counseling center directors

The easiest schools for counseling center directors to get into are Mount Saint Mary's University, notre dame de namur university, and wayland baptist university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a counseling center director 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 counseling center directors.

1. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

2. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

3. Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

1,003

4. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

5. University of North Texas at Dallas

Dallas, TX • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

992

6. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

7. Bluefield College

Bluefield, VA • Private

Admissions rate

95%

SAT average

980

8. Kean University

Union, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

991

9. University of Baltimore

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

1,020

10. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

Average counseling center director salary by education level

According to our data, counseling center directors with a Doctorate degree earn the highest average salary, at $57,999 annually. Counseling center directors with a Master's degree earn an average annual salary of $53,964.

Counseling center director education level	Counseling center director salary
Master's Degree	$53,964
Bachelor's Degree	$45,254
Doctorate Degree	$57,999

Counseling center director education FAQs

What is the best college for Counseling Center Directors?

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Updated January 8, 2025

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.

Updated January 8, 2025

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