Counseling psychologist education requirements

Q: What degree do you need to be a counseling psychologist?

You need a Ph.D. in psychology to become a counseling psychologist. While counseling psychology is a subset of psychology, the educational path is very similar. Counseling psychologists choose to work with patients using psychology research to help their clients through general therapy. Becoming a counseling psychologist begins with a bachelor's degree in psychology. This four-year degree is the basis for someone entering any psychology-related career. The next step is earning a master's degree in psychology. After achieving your master's, you can work in research and teaching capacities. To become a counseling psychologist, you must advance your education and earn your Ph.D. in counseling psychology. This will allow you to work in independent practice. A Ph.D. opens the door to employment by hospitals and industry as a counselor on a personal and career-related level. It is also necessary for counseling psychologists to be licensed in the state where they hope to work. Licensure involves amassing clinical hours ranging from 1,500 to 6,000, depending on the state, and passing several exams. The Examination for Professional Practice in Psychology (EPPP) is required of all aspiring counseling psychologists, and some will also be required to pass a jurisprudence exam that assesses their knowledge of state law as it applies to their profession.

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a counseling psychologist. Counseling psychologists usually study psychology, counseling psychology, or school counseling. 43% of counseling psychologists hold a bachelor's degree, and 41% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 282 real counseling psychologist resumes to see exactly what counseling psychologist education sections show.

The most common colleges for counseling psychologists are the Western Michigan University and the Western Michigan University.

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

What education do you need to become a counseling psychologist?

What degree do you need to be a counseling psychologist?

The most common degree for counseling psychologists is bachelor's degree, with 43% of counseling psychologists earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 41% and master's degree degree at 10%.

Bachelor's, 43%

Master's, 41%

Doctorate, 10%

Associate, 3%

Other Degrees, 3%

What should I major in to become a counseling psychologist?

You should major in psychology to become a counseling psychologist. 35% of counseling psychologists major in psychology. Other common majors for a counseling psychologist include counseling psychology and school counseling.

Psychology, 35%

Counseling Psychology, 24%

School Counseling, 9%

Clinical Psychology, 7%

Other Majors, 25%

Most common colleges for counseling psychologists

Counseling psychologists often get their degrees at Western Michigan University, University of Puerto Rico - Rio Piedras Campus, and Temple University. Here are the most common colleges for counseling psychologists in the US based on their resumes.

Counseling psychologist common college	Percentages
Western Michigan University	10.42%
University of Puerto Rico - Rio Piedras Campus	6.25%
Temple University	6.25%
New York University	6.25%
Andrews University	6.25%

Show more common counseling psychologist colleges

Best majors for counseling psychologists

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Psychology	35.4%
2	Counseling Psychology	23.8%
3	School Counseling	9.2%
4	Clinical Psychology	6.8%
5	Family Therapy	2.9%

Show more common counseling psychologist majors

Best colleges for counseling psychologists

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

A counseling psychologist 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 psychologists. 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 psychologists.

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 psychologists

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Top 10 most affordable universities for counseling psychologists

The most affordable schools for counseling psychologists 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 psychologists 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 psychologists.

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 psychologists

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

Some great schools for counseling psychologists 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 psychologists 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. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

6. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

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 psychologists

The easiest schools for counseling psychologists 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 psychologist 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 psychologists.

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. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

6. Life University

Marietta, GA • Private

Admissions rate

94%

SAT average

979

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 psychologist salary by education level

According to our data, counseling psychologists with a Doctorate degree earn the highest average salary, at $88,206 annually. Counseling psychologists with a Master's degree earn an average annual salary of $82,920.

Counseling psychologist education level	Counseling psychologist salary
Master's Degree	$82,920
Doctorate Degree	$88,206

Counseling psychologist education FAQs

What degree do you need to be a counseling psychologist?

What is the best college for Counseling Psychologists?

Have more questions? See all answers to common life, physical, and social science questions.

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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.

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