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Employment counselor education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become an employment counselor. Employment counselors usually study psychology, business, or social work. 67% of employment counselors hold a bachelor's degree, and 13% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 2,062 real employment counselor resumes to see exactly what employment counselor education sections show.
The most common colleges for employment counselors are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.
There are also many online employment counselor courses to help get the education required to be an employment counselor.
There are certain employment counselor certifications that you should consider. These employment counselor certifications include Certified Professional - Human Resource (IPMA-CP) and Pastoral Counseling Certification.
What education do you need to become an employment counselor?
What degree do you need to be an employment counselor?
- Bachelor's, 67%
- Master's, 13%
- Associate, 10%
- Doctorate, 6%
- Other Degrees, 4%
What should I major in to become an employment counselor?
- Psychology, 19%
- Business, 12%
- Social Work, 9%
- Sociology, 8%
- Other Majors, 52%
Most common colleges for employment counselors
| Employment counselor common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Phoenix | 15.09% |
| University of Utah | 11.32% |
| University of Houston | 6.13% |
| Metropolitan State University | 6.13% |
| Utah State University | 4.72% |
Best majors for employment counselors
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Psychology | 18.7% |
| 2 | Business | 12.4% |
| 3 | Social Work | 8.9% |
| 4 | Sociology | 7.9% |
| 5 | Law | 7.0% |
Best colleges for employment counselors
The best colleges for employment counselors are University of Pennsylvania, Northwestern University, and Washington University in St Louis.
An employment 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 employment 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 employment counselors.
1. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
2. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
3. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
4. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Enrollment
18,946
5. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
6. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
7. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$53,948
Enrollment
17,238
8. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
In-state tuition
$15,262
Enrollment
30,079
9. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
In-state tuition
$53,399
Enrollment
7,356
10. Pennsylvania State University
University Park, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$18,454
Enrollment
40,108
20 best online courses for employment counselors
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Top 10 most affordable universities for employment counselors
The most affordable schools for employment counselors are Baruch College of the City University of New York, california state university - long beach, and california state university - bakersfield.
If the best universities for employment 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 employment 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. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
4. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,182
Cost of attendance
13,998
5. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
6. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
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. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
10. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for employment counselors
The hardest universities for employment counselors to get into are University of Pennsylvania, Northwestern University, and Washington University in St Louis.
Some great schools for employment 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 employment 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. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
2. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
3. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,506
4. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
5. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
6. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
7. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
8. Boston College
Chestnut Hill, MA • Private
Admissions rate
28%
SAT average
1,429
9. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
10. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for employment counselors
The easiest schools for employment counselors to get into are Barry University, university of north texas at dallas, and mount saint mary's university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as an employment 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 employment counselors.
1. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
2. University of North Texas at Dallas
Dallas, TX • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
992
3. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
4. Kean University
Union, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
991
5. Gwynedd Mercy University
Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,031
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. Our Lady of the Lake University
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
1,002
9. Ottawa University
Ottawa, KS • Private
Admissions rate
78%
SAT average
1,024
10. Holy Names University
Oakland, CA • Private
Admissions rate
70%
SAT average
849
Average employment counselor salary by education level
| Employment counselor education level | Employment counselor salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $50,510 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $40,622 |
| Doctorate Degree | $51,885 |
Employment counselor education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025