Drug abuse counselor education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a drug abuse counselor. Drug abuse counselors usually study psychology, social work, or criminal justice. 58% of drug abuse counselors hold a bachelor's degree, and 23% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 797 real drug abuse counselor resumes to see exactly what drug abuse counselor education sections show.

The most common colleges for drug abuse counselors are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.

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

There are certain drug abuse counselor certifications that you should consider. These drug abuse counselor certifications include Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor (ADC) and Pastoral Counseling Certification.

What education do you need to become a drug abuse counselor?

What degree do you need to be a drug abuse counselor?

The most common degree for drug abuse counselors is bachelor's degree, with 58% of drug abuse counselors earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 23% and master's degree degree at 13%.

Bachelor's, 58%

Master's, 23%

Associate, 13%

Doctorate, 2%

Other Degrees, 4%

What should I major in to become a drug abuse counselor?

You should major in psychology to become a drug abuse counselor. 24% of drug abuse counselors major in psychology. Other common majors for a drug abuse counselor include social work and criminal justice.

Psychology, 24%

Social Work, 13%

Criminal Justice, 10%

Sociology, 6%

Other Majors, 47%

Most common colleges for drug abuse counselors

Drug abuse counselors often get their degrees at University of Phoenix, Troy University, and University of Florida. Here are the most common colleges for drug abuse counselors in the US based on their resumes.

Drug abuse counselor common college	Percentages
University of Phoenix	9.57%
Troy University	7.45%
University of Florida	6.38%
Chicago State University	6.38%
University of Central Florida	6.38%

Show more common drug abuse counselor colleges

Best majors for drug abuse counselors

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Psychology	24.3%
2	Social Work	13.2%
3	Criminal Justice	9.8%
4	Sociology	6.3%
5	Counseling Psychology	5.6%

Show more common drug abuse counselor majors

Best colleges for drug abuse counselors

The best colleges for drug abuse counselors are Northwestern University, Johns Hopkins University, and University of Pennsylvania.

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

1. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Enrollment

31,503

2. Hunter College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,182

Enrollment

16,205

3. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

4. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,948

Enrollment

17,238

5. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

6. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$8,987

Enrollment

18,946

7. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

8. SUNY at Albany

Albany, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$10,011

Enrollment

13,434

9. San Jose State University

San Jose, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,796

Enrollment

27,125

10. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$59,430

Enrollment

8,216

20 best online courses for drug abuse counselors

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Top 10 most affordable universities for drug abuse counselors

The most affordable schools for drug abuse counselors 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 drug abuse counselors 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 drug abuse counselors.

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. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

6. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

7. California State University - Fullerton

Fullerton, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,886

Cost of attendance

17,645

8. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

9. Minot State University

Minot, ND • Private

In-state tuition

$7,064

Cost of attendance

15,576

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 drug abuse counselors

The hardest universities for drug abuse counselors to get into are Northwestern University, Johns Hopkins University, and University of Pennsylvania.

Some great schools for drug abuse counselors 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 drug abuse counselors 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. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,492

4. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,506

5. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,512

6. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

7. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

8. Boston College

Chestnut Hill, MA • Private

Admissions rate

28%

SAT average

1,429

9. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

10. Fordham University

Bronx, NY • Private

Admissions rate

46%

SAT average

1,354

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for drug abuse counselors

The easiest schools for drug abuse counselors to get into are Notre Dame de Namur University, mount saint mary's university, and barry university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a drug abuse counselor 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 drug abuse counselors.

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. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

4. Kean University

Union, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

991

5. Nyack College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

999

6. Life University

Marietta, GA • Private

Admissions rate

94%

SAT average

979

7. Texas Woman's University

Denton, TX • Private

Admissions rate

87%

SAT average

1,059

8. College of New Rochelle, The

New Rochelle, NY • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

982

9. Ottawa University

Ottawa, KS • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

1,024

10. Rosemont College

Rosemont, PA • Private

Admissions rate

89%

SAT average

1,026

Average drug abuse counselor salary by education level

According to our data, drug abuse counselors with a Master's degree earn the highest average salary, at $55,606 annually. Drug abuse counselors with a Bachelor's degree earn an average annual salary of $46,219.

Drug abuse counselor education level	Drug abuse counselor salary
Master's Degree	$55,606
Bachelor's Degree	$46,219

Drug abuse counselor education FAQs

What is the best college for Drug Abuse Counselors?

Have more questions? See all answers to common community and social services 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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