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Couples therapist education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a couples therapist. Couples therapists usually study psychology, social work, or family therapy. 55% of couples therapists hold a master's degree, and 33% hold an bachelor's degree. We analyzed 40 real couples therapist resumes to see exactly what couples therapist education sections show.
The most common colleges for couples therapists are the Pacifica Graduate Institute and the Pacifica Graduate Institute.
There are also many online couples therapist courses to help get the education required to be a couples therapist.
What education do you need to become a couples therapist?
What degree do you need to be a couples therapist?
- Master's, 55%
- Bachelor's, 33%
- Doctorate, 10%
- Other Degrees, 2%
What should I major in to become a couples therapist?
- Psychology, 21%
- Social Work, 21%
- Family Therapy, 13%
- Clinical Psychology, 10%
- Other Majors, 35%
Most common colleges for couples therapists
| Couples therapist common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Pacifica Graduate Institute | 8.33% |
| New York University | 8.33% |
| Bryn Mawr College | 8.33% |
| Carlos Albizu University | 8.33% |
| Regis University | 4.17% |
Best majors for couples therapists
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Psychology | 20.5% |
| 2 | Social Work | 20.5% |
| 3 | Family Therapy | 12.8% |
| 4 | Clinical Psychology | 10.3% |
| 5 | Counseling Psychology | 7.7% |
Best colleges for couples therapists
The best colleges for couples therapists are Boston University, University of Pennsylvania, and Boston College.
A couples therapist with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for couples therapists. 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 couples therapists.
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. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Enrollment
18,946
4. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
5. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Enrollment
31,503
6. San Diego State University
San Diego, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,488
Enrollment
30,018
7. Boston College
Chestnut Hill, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,464
Enrollment
9,639
8. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Enrollment
32,072
9. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,182
Enrollment
16,205
10. University of Central Florida
Orlando, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,368
Enrollment
58,392
20 best online courses for couples therapists
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18. Abnormal Behavior & Clinical Psychology (Certificate)
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19. Introduction to Solution Focused Therapy
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Top 10 most affordable universities for couples therapists
The most affordable schools for couples therapists 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 couples therapists 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 couples therapists.
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. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
5. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
6. California State University - Fullerton
Fullerton, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,886
Cost of attendance
17,645
7. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
8. Minot State University
Minot, ND • Private
In-state tuition
$7,064
Cost of attendance
15,576
9. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
10. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for couples therapists
The hardest universities for couples therapists to get into are Boston University, University of Pennsylvania, and Boston College.
Some great schools for couples therapists 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 couples therapists 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. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
2. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
3. Boston College
Chestnut Hill, MA • Private
Admissions rate
28%
SAT average
1,429
4. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
5. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
6. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
7. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
Admissions rate
23%
SAT average
1,398
8. Fordham University
Bronx, NY • Private
Admissions rate
46%
SAT average
1,354
9. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
10. University of Rochester
Rochester, NY • Private
Admissions rate
29%
SAT average
1,422
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for couples therapists
The easiest schools for couples therapists to get into are Notre Dame de Namur University, mount saint mary's university, and kean university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a couples therapist 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 couples therapists.
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. Kean University
Union, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
991
4. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
5. Nyack College
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
999
6. Texas Woman's University
Denton, TX • Private
Admissions rate
87%
SAT average
1,059
7. College of New Rochelle, The
New Rochelle, NY • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
982
8. Rosemont College
Rosemont, PA • Private
Admissions rate
89%
SAT average
1,026
9. Fresno Pacific University
Fresno, CA • Private
Admissions rate
85%
SAT average
1,053
10. Washington Adventist Hospital
Takoma Park, MD • Private
Admissions rate
52%
SAT average
958
Average couples therapist salary by education level
| Couples therapist education level | Couples therapist salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $97,616 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $89,558 |
Couples therapist education FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common community and social services questions.
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025