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Counseling department chairperson education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a counseling department chairperson. Counseling department chairpeople usually study psychology, law, or school counseling. 54% of counseling department chairpeople hold a bachelor's degree, and 23% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 384 real counseling department chairperson resumes to see exactly what counseling department chairperson education sections show.

The most common colleges for counseling department chairpeople are the University of Virginia and the University of Virginia.

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

There are certain counseling department chairperson certifications that you should consider. These counseling department chairperson certifications include Pastoral Counseling Certification and National Certified Counselor (NCC).

What education do you need to become a counseling department chairperson?

What degree do you need to be a counseling department chairperson?

The most common degree for counseling department chairpeople is bachelor's degree, with 54% of counseling department chairpeople earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 23% and master's degree degree at 16%.
  • Bachelor's, 54%
  • Master's, 23%
  • Doctorate, 16%
  • Associate, 6%
  • Other Degrees, 1%

What should I major in to become a counseling department chairperson?

You should major in psychology to become a counseling department chairperson. 19% of counseling department chairpeople major in psychology. Other common majors for a counseling department chairperson include law and school counseling.

Most common colleges for counseling department chairpeople

Counseling department chairpeople often get their degrees at University of Virginia, New York Law School, and Tacoma Community College. Here are the most common colleges for counseling department chairpeople in the US based on their resumes.
Counseling department chairperson common collegePercentages
University of Virginia7.84%
New York Law School7.84%
Tacoma Community College5.88%
Argosy University5.88%
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University5.88%

Best majors for counseling department chairpeople

RankMajorPercentages
1Psychology18.9%
2Law14.3%
3School Counseling11.9%
4Political Science8.2%
5Social Work5.3%

Best colleges for counseling department chairpeople

The best colleges for counseling department chairpeople are Harvard University, Vanderbilt University, and University of Pennsylvania.

A counseling department chairperson 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 department chairpeople. 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 department chairpeople.

1. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$50,420

Enrollment

7,582

2. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

3. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$8,987

Enrollment

18,946

4. University of Virginia

Charlottesville, VA • Private

In-state tuition

$17,653

Enrollment

16,405

5. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,948

Enrollment

17,238

6. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

In-state tuition

$49,816

Enrollment

6,840

7. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

8. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,522

Enrollment

13,760

9. Boston College

Chestnut Hill, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,464

Enrollment

9,639

10. University of Connecticut

Storrs, CT • Private

In-state tuition

$15,730

Enrollment

18,830

20 best online courses for counseling department chairpeople

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Top 10 most affordable universities for counseling department chairpeople

The most affordable schools for counseling department chairpeople are Baruch College of the City University of New York, university of florida, and brigham young university.

If the best universities for counseling department chairpeople 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 department chairpeople.

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. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

3. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

4. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

5. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

6. University of Houston - Victoria

Victoria, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$6,491

Cost of attendance

19,075

7. Hunter College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,182

Cost of attendance

13,998

8. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

9. Queens College of the City University of New York

Queens, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,338

Cost of attendance

14,281

10. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$8,987

Cost of attendance

25,527

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for counseling department chairpeople

The hardest universities for counseling department chairpeople to get into are Harvard University, Vanderbilt University, and University of Pennsylvania.

Some great schools for counseling department chairpeople 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 department chairpeople 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. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

5%

SAT average

1,520

2. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

3. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,492

4. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,508

5. Boston College

Chestnut Hill, MA • Private

Admissions rate

28%

SAT average

1,429

6. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

7. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

8. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

9. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

10. University of Virginia

Charlottesville, VA • Private

Admissions rate

26%

SAT average

1,427

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for counseling department chairpeople

The easiest schools for counseling department chairpeople to get into are Barry University, university of north texas at dallas, and gwynedd mercy university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a counseling department chairperson 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 department chairpeople.

1. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

2. University of North Texas at Dallas

Dallas, TX • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

992

3. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

4. Ottawa University

Ottawa, KS • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

1,024

5. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

6. Texas Woman's University

Denton, TX • Private

Admissions rate

87%

SAT average

1,059

7. Our Lady of the Lake University

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

1,002

8. American International College

Springfield, MA • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

1,010

9. Holy Family University

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

72%

SAT average

1,017

10. University of the Incarnate Word

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,044

Average counseling department chairperson salary by education level

Counseling department chairpeople with a Doctorate degree earn more than those without, at $52,251 annually. With a Master's degree, counseling department chairpeople earn a median annual income of $51,107 compared to $42,710 for counseling department chairpeople with an Bachelor's degree.
Counseling department chairperson education levelCounseling department chairperson salary
Master's Degree$51,107
Bachelor's Degree$42,710
Doctorate Degree$52,251

Counseling department chairperson 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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