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Counseling specialist education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a counseling specialist. Counseling specialists usually study psychology, business, or criminal justice. 62% of counseling specialists hold a bachelor's degree, and 16% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 1,083 real counseling specialist resumes to see exactly what counseling specialist education sections show.
The most common colleges for counseling specialists are the Florida State University and the Florida State University.
There are also many online counseling specialist courses to help get the education required to be a counseling specialist.
There are certain counseling specialist certifications that you should consider. These counseling specialist certifications include First Aid, CPR and AED Instructor and Pastoral Counseling Certification.
What education do you need to become a counseling specialist?
What degree do you need to be a counseling specialist?
- Bachelor's, 62%
- Master's, 16%
- Associate, 13%
- High School Diploma, 5%
- Other Degrees, 4%
What should I major in to become a counseling specialist?
- Psychology, 20%
- Business, 15%
- Criminal Justice, 12%
- Social Work, 8%
- Other Majors, 45%
Most common colleges for counseling specialists
| Counseling specialist common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Florida State University | 26.29% |
| Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University | 11.43% |
| Tallahassee Community College | 10.29% |
| University of Phoenix | 6.86% |
| Indiana University of Pennsylvania | 4.57% |
Best majors for counseling specialists
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Psychology | 20.3% |
| 2 | Business | 15.4% |
| 3 | Criminal Justice | 11.8% |
| 4 | Social Work | 7.9% |
| 5 | School Counseling | 4.9% |
Best colleges for counseling specialists
The best colleges for counseling specialists are Northwestern University, Johns Hopkins University, and University of Pennsylvania.
A counseling specialist 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 specialists. 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 specialists.
1. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$53,948
Enrollment
17,238
2. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
3. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Enrollment
31,503
4. SUNY at Albany
Albany, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$10,011
Enrollment
13,434
5. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Enrollment
18,946
6. San Diego State University
San Diego, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,488
Enrollment
30,018
7. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
8. SUNY College at Oswego
Oswego, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,440
Enrollment
7,039
9. University of Maryland - College Park
College Park, MD • Private
In-state tuition
$10,595
Enrollment
30,184
10. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
In-state tuition
$53,740
Enrollment
5,567
20 best online courses for counseling specialists
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Top 10 most affordable universities for counseling specialists
The most affordable schools for counseling specialists are Baruch College of the City University of New York, california state university - long beach, and california state university - bakersfield.
If the best universities for counseling specialists 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 specialists.
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. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
3. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
4. University of Houston - Victoria
Victoria, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$6,491
Cost of attendance
19,075
5. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
6. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
7. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
8. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,182
Cost of attendance
13,998
9. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
10. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Cost of attendance
16,091
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for counseling specialists
The hardest universities for counseling specialists to get into are Northwestern University, Johns Hopkins University, and University of Pennsylvania.
Some great schools for counseling specialists 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 specialists 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. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
3. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
4. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
5. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
6. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
7. Boston College
Chestnut Hill, MA • Private
Admissions rate
28%
SAT average
1,429
8. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
9. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
10. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for counseling specialists
The easiest schools for counseling specialists to get into are Gwynedd Mercy University, university of north texas at dallas, and ottawa university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a counseling specialist 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 specialists.
1. Gwynedd Mercy University
Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,031
2. University of North Texas at Dallas
Dallas, TX • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
992
3. Ottawa University
Ottawa, KS • Private
Admissions rate
78%
SAT average
1,024
4. Kean University
Union, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
991
5. Holy Family University
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
72%
SAT average
1,017
6. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
7. Texas Woman's University
Denton, TX • Private
Admissions rate
87%
SAT average
1,059
8. Our Lady of the Lake University
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
1,002
9. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
10. University of Baltimore
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
78%
SAT average
1,020
Average counseling specialist salary by education level
| Counseling specialist education level | Counseling specialist salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $48,193 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $41,979 |
| Doctorate Degree | $49,021 |
Counseling specialist education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025