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Elementary school counselor education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become an elementary school counselor. Elementary school counselors usually study psychology, school counseling, or elementary education. 58% of elementary school counselors hold a bachelor's degree, and 25% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 2,301 real elementary school counselor resumes to see exactly what elementary school counselor education sections show.
The most common colleges for elementary school counselors are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.
There are also many online elementary school counselor courses to help get the education required to be an elementary school counselor.
There are certain elementary school counselor certifications that you should consider. These elementary school counselor certifications include Pastoral Counseling Certification and Certified Professional Counselor.
What education do you need to become an elementary school counselor?
What degree do you need to be an elementary school counselor?
- Bachelor's, 58%
- Master's, 25%
- Associate, 7%
- High School Diploma, 7%
- Other Degrees, 3%
What should I major in to become an elementary school counselor?
- Psychology, 16%
- School Counseling, 13%
- Elementary Education, 11%
- Education, 10%
- Other Majors, 50%
Most common colleges for elementary school counselors
| Elementary school counselor common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Phoenix | 13.48% |
| Florida State University | 6.74% |
| Texas A&M University | 6.74% |
| Temple University | 5.62% |
| University of North Texas | 5.06% |
Best majors for elementary school counselors
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Psychology | 16.4% |
| 2 | School Counseling | 12.8% |
| 3 | Elementary Education | 11.2% |
| 4 | Education | 10.2% |
| 5 | Business | 6.1% |
Best colleges for elementary school counselors
The best colleges for elementary school counselors are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Johns Hopkins University.
An elementary school 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 elementary school 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 elementary school counselors.
1. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
2. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Enrollment
18,946
3. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
4. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
5. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
In-state tuition
$53,740
Enrollment
5,567
6. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
7. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Enrollment
31,503
8. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
In-state tuition
$49,816
Enrollment
6,840
9. University of Maryland - College Park
College Park, MD • Private
In-state tuition
$10,595
Enrollment
30,184
10. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$53,948
Enrollment
17,238
20 best online courses for elementary school counselors
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13. Introduction to Early Childhood Montessori Education
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18. Fundamentals of Business Crisis Management
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19. Implementing Positive Behaviour Management in the Classroom
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20. Managing conflict with skill and confidence
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Top 10 most affordable universities for elementary school counselors
The most affordable schools for elementary school counselors are Baruch College of the City University of New York, california state university - long beach, and hunter college of the city university of new york.
If the best universities for elementary school 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 elementary school 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. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
3. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,182
Cost of attendance
13,998
4. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
5. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
6. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
7. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
8. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
9. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
10. California State University - Fresno
Fresno, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,587
Cost of attendance
16,915
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for elementary school counselors
The hardest universities for elementary school counselors to get into are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Johns Hopkins University.
Some great schools for elementary school 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 elementary school 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
8%
SAT average
1,508
2. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
3. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
4. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
5. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
6. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
7. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
8. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,506
9. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
10. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for elementary school counselors
The easiest schools for elementary school counselors to get into are Barry University, gwynedd mercy university, and mount saint mary's university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as an elementary school 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 elementary school counselors.
1. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
2. Gwynedd Mercy University
Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,031
3. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
4. Ottawa University
Ottawa, KS • Private
Admissions rate
78%
SAT average
1,024
5. Felician University
Lodi, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
81%
SAT average
999
6. Holy Family University
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
72%
SAT average
1,017
7. Texas Woman's University
Denton, TX • Private
Admissions rate
87%
SAT average
1,059
8. Holy Names University
Oakland, CA • Private
Admissions rate
70%
SAT average
849
9. Our Lady of the Lake University
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
1,002
10. Saint Martin's University
Lacey, WA • Private
Admissions rate
96%
SAT average
1,111
Average elementary school counselor salary by education level
| Elementary school counselor education level | Elementary school counselor salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $41,822 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $31,767 |
| Doctorate Degree | $43,264 |
Elementary school counselor education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025