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Graduate advisor education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a graduate advisor. Graduate advisors usually study psychology, business, or communication. 66% of graduate advisors hold a bachelor's degree, and 24% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 632 real graduate advisor resumes to see exactly what graduate advisor education sections show.
The most common colleges for graduate advisors are the Northern Illinois University and the Northern Illinois University.
There are also many online graduate advisor courses to help get the education required to be a graduate advisor.
What education do you need to become a graduate advisor?
What degree do you need to be a graduate advisor?
- Bachelor's, 66%
- Master's, 24%
- Doctorate, 5%
- Associate, 3%
- Other Degrees, 2%
What should I major in to become a graduate advisor?
- Psychology, 16%
- Business, 13%
- Communication, 9%
- Other Majors, 55%
Most common colleges for graduate advisors
| Graduate advisor common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Northern Illinois University | 8.26% |
| Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey | 7.34% |
| Southern Illinois University Carbondale | 6.42% |
| University of Central Florida | 6.42% |
| Michigan State University | 6.42% |
Best majors for graduate advisors
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Psychology | 15.8% |
| 2 | Business | 12.8% |
| 3 | Communication | 8.9% |
| 4 | Political Science | 6.8% |
| 5 | Sociology | 5.1% |
Best colleges for graduate advisors
The best colleges for graduate advisors are University of Pennsylvania, Northwestern University, and Vanderbilt University.
A graduate advisor with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for graduate advisors. 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 graduate advisors.
1. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
2. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
3. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
4. San Diego State University
San Diego, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,488
Enrollment
30,018
5. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$53,948
Enrollment
17,238
6. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
7. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Enrollment
18,946
8. University of Virginia
Charlottesville, VA • Private
In-state tuition
$17,653
Enrollment
16,405
9. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
10. SUNY at Albany
Albany, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$10,011
Enrollment
13,434
20 best online courses for graduate advisors
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Top 10 most affordable universities for graduate advisors
The most affordable schools for graduate advisors are Baruch College of the City University of New York, california state university - bakersfield, and california state university - long beach.
If the best universities for graduate advisors 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 graduate advisors.
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 - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
3. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
4. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Cost of attendance
16,091
5. University of Houston - Victoria
Victoria, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$6,491
Cost of attendance
19,075
6. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
7. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
8. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
9. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
10. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for graduate advisors
The hardest universities for graduate advisors to get into are University of Pennsylvania, Northwestern University, and Vanderbilt University.
Some great schools for graduate advisors 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 graduate advisors 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. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
4. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
5. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
6. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
7. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
8. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
9. Boston College
Chestnut Hill, MA • Private
Admissions rate
28%
SAT average
1,429
10. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for graduate advisors
The easiest schools for graduate advisors to get into are University of North Texas at Dallas, gwynedd mercy university, and barry university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a graduate advisor 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 graduate advisors.
1. University of North Texas at Dallas
Dallas, TX • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
992
2. Gwynedd Mercy University
Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,031
3. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
4. Holy Names University
Oakland, CA • Private
Admissions rate
70%
SAT average
849
5. Ottawa University
Ottawa, KS • Private
Admissions rate
78%
SAT average
1,024
6. Holy Family University
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
72%
SAT average
1,017
7. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
8. Our Lady of the Lake University
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
1,002
9. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
10. Texas Woman's University
Denton, TX • Private
Admissions rate
87%
SAT average
1,059
Average graduate advisor salary by education level
| Graduate advisor education level | Graduate advisor salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $72,564 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $56,498 |
| Doctorate Degree | $74,838 |
Graduate advisor education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025