Counselor and coach education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a counselor and coach. Counselor and coaches usually study psychology, business, or kinesiology. 66% of counselor and coaches hold a bachelor's degree, and 11% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 2,010 real counselor and coach resumes to see exactly what counselor and coach education sections show.

The most common colleges for counselor and coaches are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.

There are also many online counselor and coach courses to help get the education required to be a counselor and coach.

There are certain counselor and coach certifications that you should consider. These counselor and coach certifications include Master Certified Coach (MCC) and First Aid, CPR and AED Instructor.

What education do you need to become a counselor and coach?

What degree do you need to be a counselor and coach?

The most common degree for counselor and coaches is bachelor's degree, with 66% of counselor and coaches earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 11% and master's degree degree at 11%.

Bachelor's, 66%

Master's, 11%

Associate, 11%

High School Diploma, 8%

Other Degrees, 4%

What should I major in to become a counselor and coach?

You should major in psychology to become a counselor and coach. 16% of counselor and coaches major in psychology. Other common majors for a counselor and coach include business and kinesiology.

Psychology, 16%

Business, 12%

Kinesiology, 11%

Criminal Justice, 10%

Other Majors, 51%

Most common colleges for counselor and coaches

Counselor and coaches often get their degrees at University of Phoenix, University of Delaware, and Arizona State University. Here are the most common colleges for counselor and coaches in the US based on their resumes.

Counselor and coach common college	Percentages
University of Phoenix	15.79%
University of Delaware	7.52%
Arizona State University	6.02%
Western Nevada College	5.26%
University of Nevada - Las Vegas	4.51%

Show more common counselor and coach colleges

Best majors for counselor and coaches

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Psychology	16.0%
2	Business	12.2%
3	Kinesiology	10.8%
4	Criminal Justice	10.1%
5	Sociology	5.5%

Show more common counselor and coach majors

Best colleges for counselor and coaches

The best colleges for counselor and coaches are Northwestern University, George Washington University, The, and SUNY at Binghamton.

A counselor and coach with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for counselor and coaches. 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 counselor and coaches.

1. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

2. Howard University

Washington, DC • Private

In-state tuition

$26,756

Enrollment

6,166

3. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Enrollment

9,142

4. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Enrollment

31,503

5. SUNY College at Oswego

Oswego, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,440

Enrollment

7,039

6. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$9,808

Enrollment

13,990

7. Pennsylvania State University

University Park, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$18,454

Enrollment

40,108

8. San Diego State University

San Diego, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,488

Enrollment

30,018

9. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Enrollment

13,871

10. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, MI • Private

In-state tuition

$15,262

Enrollment

30,079

20 best online courses for counselor and coaches

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Top 10 most affordable universities for counselor and coaches

The most affordable schools for counselor and coaches are California State University - Bakersfield, california state university - long beach, and suny farmingdale.

If the best universities for counselor and coaches 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 counselor and coaches.

1. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

2. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

3. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

4. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

5. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

6. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

7. California State University - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,749

Cost of attendance

14,823

8. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

9. USF Sarasota-Manatee

Sarasota, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,587

Cost of attendance

13,043

10. Minot State University

Minot, ND • Private

In-state tuition

$7,064

Cost of attendance

15,576

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for counselor and coaches

The hardest universities for counselor and coaches to get into are Northwestern University, George Washington University, The, and SUNY at Binghamton.

Some great schools for counselor and coaches 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 counselor and coaches 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. George Washington University, The

Washington, DC • Private

Admissions rate

42%

SAT average

1,380

3. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

Admissions rate

40%

SAT average

1,376

4. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

5. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

6. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,512

7. University of Maryland - College Park

College Park, MD • Private

Admissions rate

47%

SAT average

1,390

8. University of Tulsa

Tulsa, OK • Private

Admissions rate

41%

SAT average

1,321

9. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

10. University of Washington

Seattle, WA • Private

Admissions rate

49%

SAT average

1,347

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for counselor and coaches

The easiest schools for counselor and coaches to get into are Bluefield College, wayland baptist university, and felician university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a counselor and coach 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 counselor and coaches.

1. Bluefield College

Bluefield, VA • Private

Admissions rate

95%

SAT average

980

2. Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

1,003

3. Felician University

Lodi, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

999

4. Kean University

Union, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

991

5. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

6. Life University

Marietta, GA • Private

Admissions rate

94%

SAT average

979

7. Holy Family University

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

72%

SAT average

1,017

8. Presentation College

Aberdeen, SD • Private

Admissions rate

97%

SAT average

1,050

9. Ottawa University

Ottawa, KS • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

1,024

10. Manor College

Jenkintown, PA • Private

Admissions rate

94%

SAT average

898

Average counselor and coach salary by education level

According to our data, counselor and coaches with a Master's degree earn the highest average salary, at $42,255 annually. Counselor and coaches with a Bachelor's degree earn an average annual salary of $38,361.

Counselor and coach education level	Counselor and coach salary
Master's Degree	$42,255
High School Diploma or Less	$27,137
Bachelor's Degree	$38,361
Some College/ Associate Degree	$33,833

Counselor and coach education FAQs

What is the best college for Counselor And Coaches?

Have more questions? See all answers to common personal care and attendants 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.

Updated January 8, 2025

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