Counselor/case manager education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a counselor/case manager. Counselor/case managers usually study psychology, social work, or criminal justice. 63% of counselor/case managers hold a bachelor's degree, and 21% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 5,974 real counselor/case manager resumes to see exactly what counselor/case manager education sections show.

The most common colleges for counselor/case managers are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.

There are also many online counselor/case manager courses to help get the education required to be a counselor/case manager.

There are certain counselor/case manager certifications that you should consider. These counselor/case manager certifications include Medical Assistant and Certified Nurse Assistant (CNA).

What education do you need to become a counselor/case manager?

What degree do you need to be a counselor/case manager?

The most common degree for counselor/case managers is bachelor's degree, with 63% of counselor/case managers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 21% and master's degree degree at 11%.

Bachelor's, 63%

Master's, 21%

Associate, 11%

High School Diploma, 2%

Other Degrees, 3%

What should I major in to become a counselor/case manager?

You should major in psychology to become a counselor/case manager. 27% of counselor/case managers major in psychology. Other common majors for a counselor/case manager include social work and criminal justice.

Psychology, 27%

Social Work, 13%

Criminal Justice, 9%

Human Services, 7%

Other Majors, 44%

Most common colleges for counselor/case managers

Counselor/case managers often get their degrees at University of Phoenix, California State University - San Bernardino, and Argosy University. Here are the most common colleges for counselor/case managers in the US based on their resumes.

Counselor/case manager common college	Percentages
University of Phoenix	14.26%
California State University - San Bernardino	6.84%
Argosy University	6.08%
Liberty University	5.70%
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey	5.32%

Show more common counselor/case manager colleges

Best majors for counselor/case managers

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Psychology	26.9%
2	Social Work	12.6%
3	Criminal Justice	8.8%
4	Human Services	7.0%
5	Sociology	6.6%

Show more common counselor/case manager majors

Best colleges for counselor/case managers

The best colleges for counselor/case managers are Northwestern University, Boston University, and Northeastern University.

A counselor/case manager 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/case managers. 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/case managers.

1. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Enrollment

31,503

2. California State University - Fullerton

Fullerton, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,886

Enrollment

34,637

3. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,948

Enrollment

17,238

4. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Enrollment

13,871

5. San Jose State University

San Jose, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,796

Enrollment

27,125

6. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$9,808

Enrollment

13,990

7. Minnesota State University - Mankato

Mankato, MN • Private

In-state tuition

$8,184

Enrollment

11,675

8. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$8,987

Enrollment

18,946

9. San Diego State University

San Diego, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,488

Enrollment

30,018

10. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Enrollment

32,072

20 best online courses for counselor/case managers

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Top 10 most affordable universities for counselor/case managers

The most affordable schools for counselor/case managers are Hunter College of the City University of New York, california state university - long beach, and california state university - bakersfield.

If the best universities for counselor/case managers 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/case managers.

1. Hunter College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,182

Cost of attendance

13,998

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. California State University - Fullerton

Fullerton, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,886

Cost of attendance

17,645

5. Baruch College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,262

Cost of attendance

14,046

6. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

7. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

8. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

9. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

10. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for counselor/case managers

The hardest universities for counselor/case managers to get into are Northwestern University, Boston University, and Northeastern University.

Some great schools for counselor/case managers 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/case managers 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. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

3. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

4. Boston College

Chestnut Hill, MA • Private

Admissions rate

28%

SAT average

1,429

5. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

6. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

7. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

8. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

Admissions rate

40%

SAT average

1,376

9. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,506

10. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • Private

Admissions rate

23%

SAT average

1,398

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for counselor/case managers

The easiest schools for counselor/case managers to get into are Mount Saint Mary's University, notre dame de namur university, and wayland baptist university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a counselor/case manager 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/case managers.

1. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

2. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

3. Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

1,003

4. Ottawa University

Ottawa, KS • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

1,024

5. University of North Texas at Dallas

Dallas, TX • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

992

6. Kean University

Union, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

991

7. Texas Woman's University

Denton, TX • Private

Admissions rate

87%

SAT average

1,059

8. University of Houston - Downtown

Houston, TX • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

1,012

9. Nyack College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

999

10. Texas A&M University - Kingsville

Kingsville, TX • Private

Admissions rate

89%

SAT average

1,035

Average counselor/case manager salary by education level

According to our data, counselor/case managers with a Master's degree earn the highest average salary, at $43,803 annually. Counselor/case managers with a Bachelor's degree earn an average annual salary of $41,570.

Counselor/case manager education level	Counselor/case manager salary
Master's Degree	$43,803
High School Diploma or Less	$38,726
Bachelor's Degree	$41,570
Some College/ Associate Degree	$38,876

Counselor/case manager education FAQs

What is the best college for Counselor/Case Managers?

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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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