Counseling program leader education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a counseling program leader. Counseling program leaders usually study psychology, criminal justice, or school counseling. 65% of counseling program leaders hold a bachelor's degree, and 16% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 280 real counseling program leader resumes to see exactly what counseling program leader education sections show.

The most common colleges for counseling program leaders are the Miami University and the Miami University.

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

What education do you need to become a counseling program leader?

What degree do you need to be a counseling program leader?

The most common degree for counseling program leaders is bachelor's degree, with 65% of counseling program leaders earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 16% and master's degree degree at 10%.

Bachelor's, 65%

Master's, 16%

Associate, 10%

High School Diploma, 4%

Other Degrees, 5%

What should I major in to become a counseling program leader?

You should major in psychology to become a counseling program leader. 20% of counseling program leaders major in psychology. Other common majors for a counseling program leader include criminal justice and school counseling.

Psychology, 20%

Criminal Justice, 8%

School Counseling, 7%

Business, 6%

Other Majors, 59%

Most common colleges for counseling program leaders

Counseling program leaders often get their degrees at Miami University, Monmouth University, and Western Michigan University. Here are the most common colleges for counseling program leaders in the US based on their resumes.

Counseling program leader common college	Percentages
Miami University	5.13%
Monmouth University	5.13%
Western Michigan University	5.13%
Texas Tech University	5.13%
Immaculata University	5.13%

Show more common counseling program leader colleges

Best majors for counseling program leaders

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Psychology	20.1%
2	Criminal Justice	8.2%
3	School Counseling	6.7%
4	Business	6.0%
5	Human Services	6.0%

Show more common counseling program leader majors

Best colleges for counseling program leaders

The best colleges for counseling program leaders are Northwestern University, Johns Hopkins University, and Columbia University in the City of New York.

A counseling program leader 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 program leaders. 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 program leaders.

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. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

In-state tuition

$53,740

Enrollment

5,567

4. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

In-state tuition

$53,399

Enrollment

7,356

5. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Enrollment

31,503

6. University of California - San Diego

La Jolla, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$14,167

Enrollment

30,279

7. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$9,808

Enrollment

13,990

8. Hunter College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,182

Enrollment

16,205

9. University of Maryland - College Park

College Park, MD • Private

In-state tuition

$10,595

Enrollment

30,184

10. Clemson University

Clemson, SC • Private

In-state tuition

$15,374

Enrollment

19,564

20 best online courses for counseling program leaders

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20. Person-Centred Counselling Certificate

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Top 10 most affordable universities for counseling program leaders

The most affordable schools for counseling program leaders are Baruch College of the City University of New York, hunter college of the city university of new york, and california state university - long beach.

If the best universities for counseling program leaders 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 program leaders.

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. Hunter College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,182

Cost of attendance

13,998

3. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

4. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

5. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,240

Cost of attendance

13,991

6. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

7. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

8. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

9. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

10. Queens College of the City University of New York

Queens, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,338

Cost of attendance

14,281

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for counseling program leaders

The hardest universities for counseling program leaders to get into are Northwestern University, Johns Hopkins University, and Columbia University in the City of New York.

Some great schools for counseling program leaders 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 program leaders 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. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,512

4. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,506

5. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

6. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

7. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

8. Tufts University

Medford, MA • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,461

9. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,520

10. University of Rochester

Rochester, NY • Private

Admissions rate

29%

SAT average

1,422

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for counseling program leaders

The easiest schools for counseling program leaders to get into are Notre Dame de Namur University, mount saint mary's university, and wayland baptist university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a counseling program leader 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 program leaders.

1. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

2. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

3. Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

1,003

4. Felician University

Lodi, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

999

5. Life University

Marietta, GA • Private

Admissions rate

94%

SAT average

979

6. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

7. Kean University

Union, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

991

8. University of North Texas at Dallas

Dallas, TX • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

992

9. Ottawa University

Ottawa, KS • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

1,024

10. Holy Family University

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

72%

SAT average

1,017

Average counseling program leader salary by education level

According to our data, counseling program leaders with a Master's degree earn the highest average salary, at $44,031 annually. Counseling program leaders with a Bachelor's degree earn an average annual salary of $41,980.

Counseling program leader education level	Counseling program leader salary
Master's Degree	$44,031
High School Diploma or Less	$35,389
Bachelor's Degree	$41,980
Some College/ Associate Degree	$39,456

Counseling program leader education FAQs

What is the best college for Counseling Program Leaders?

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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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