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Counseling director education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a counseling director. Counseling directors usually study psychology, law, or school counseling. 54% of counseling directors hold a bachelor's degree, and 25% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 1,420 real counseling director resumes to see exactly what counseling director education sections show.
The most common colleges for counseling directors are the Liberty University and the Liberty University.
There are also many online counseling director courses to help get the education required to be a counseling director.
There are certain counseling director certifications that you should consider. These counseling director certifications include Pastoral Counseling Certification and Certified Professional Counselor.
What education do you need to become a counseling director?
What degree do you need to be a counseling director?
- Bachelor's, 54%
- Master's, 25%
- Doctorate, 10%
- Associate, 6%
- Other Degrees, 5%
What should I major in to become a counseling director?
- Psychology, 16%
- Law, 10%
- School Counseling, 10%
- Business, 9%
- Other Majors, 55%
Most common colleges for counseling directors
| Counseling director common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Liberty University | 8.06% |
| University of Phoenix | 7.26% |
| Harvard University | 6.45% |
| Michigan State University | 5.65% |
| New York University | 5.65% |
Best majors for counseling directors
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Psychology | 16.3% |
| 2 | Law | 10.4% |
| 3 | School Counseling | 10.0% |
| 4 | Business | 9.2% |
| 5 | Social Work | 7.3% |
Best colleges for counseling directors
The best colleges for counseling directors are Northwestern University, Columbia University in the City of New York, and Washington University in St Louis.
A counseling 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 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 directors.
1. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
2. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$59,430
Enrollment
8,216
3. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
In-state tuition
$53,399
Enrollment
7,356
4. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$53,948
Enrollment
17,238
5. University of Washington
Seattle, WA • Private
In-state tuition
$11,207
Enrollment
30,905
6. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
7. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$55,695
Enrollment
6,596
8. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
9. Howard University
Washington, DC • Private
In-state tuition
$26,756
Enrollment
6,166
10. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
20 best online courses for counseling directors
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Top 10 most affordable universities for counseling directors
The most affordable schools for counseling directors are Baruch College of the City University of New York, university of florida, and hunter college of the city university of new york.
If the best universities for counseling 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 directors.
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. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,182
Cost of attendance
13,998
4. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
5. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
6. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
7. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
8. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
9. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
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 directors
The hardest universities for counseling directors to get into are Northwestern University, Columbia University in the City of New York, and Washington University in St Louis.
Some great schools for counseling 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 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
8%
SAT average
1,508
2. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
3. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,506
4. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
5. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
6. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
7. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
Admissions rate
9%
SAT average
1,516
8. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
9. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
10. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for counseling directors
The easiest schools for counseling directors to get into are Barry University, notre dame de namur university, and university of north texas at dallas.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a counseling 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 directors.
1. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
2. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
3. University of North Texas at Dallas
Dallas, TX • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
992
4. Life University
Marietta, GA • Private
Admissions rate
94%
SAT average
979
5. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
6. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
7. Felician University
Lodi, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
81%
SAT average
999
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. Holy Family University
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
72%
SAT average
1,017
Average counseling director salary by education level
| Counseling director education level | Counseling director salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $106,507 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $75,353 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $98,757 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $89,523 |
Counseling director education FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common personal care and attendants questions.
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025