Grief counselor education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a grief counselor. Grief counselors usually study psychology, social work, or school counseling. 54% of grief counselors hold a bachelor's degree, and 32% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 315 real grief counselor resumes to see exactly what grief counselor education sections show.

The most common colleges for grief counselors are the Northeastern State University and the Northeastern State University.

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

What education do you need to become a grief counselor?

What degree do you need to be a grief counselor?

The most common degree for grief counselors is bachelor's degree, with 54% of grief counselors earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 32% and master's degree degree at 7%.

Bachelor's, 54%

Master's, 32%

Associate, 7%

Doctorate, 2%

Other Degrees, 5%

What should I major in to become a grief counselor?

You should major in psychology to become a grief counselor. 32% of grief counselors major in psychology. Other common majors for a grief counselor include social work and school counseling.

Psychology, 32%

Social Work, 10%

School Counseling, 9%

Business, 5%

Other Majors, 44%

Most common colleges for grief counselors

Grief counselors often get their degrees at Northeastern State University, San Diego State University, and University of Utah. Here are the most common colleges for grief counselors in the US based on their resumes.

Grief counselor common college	Percentages
Northeastern State University	6.67%
San Diego State University	6.67%
University of Utah	6.67%
Florida State University	6.67%
Appalachian State University	6.67%

Show more common grief counselor colleges

Best majors for grief counselors

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Psychology	31.9%
2	Social Work	9.7%
3	School Counseling	8.7%
4	Business	4.8%
5	Liberal Arts	4.3%

Show more common grief counselor majors

Best colleges for grief counselors

The best colleges for grief counselors are Northwestern University, Johns Hopkins University, and Boston College.

A grief 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 grief 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 grief counselors.

1. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

2. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Enrollment

31,503

3. Boston College

Chestnut Hill, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,464

Enrollment

9,639

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. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,948

Enrollment

17,238

7. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

In-state tuition

$53,740

Enrollment

5,567

8. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

9. Fordham University

Bronx, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$52,687

Enrollment

9,392

10. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

In-state tuition

$53,399

Enrollment

7,356

20 best online courses for grief counselors

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2. Professional Counselling Grief & Bereavement Diploma Course

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Learn Psychology of 'death' and 'dying', grief and bereavement related therapy, psychotherapy for depression...

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Top 10 most affordable universities for grief counselors

The most affordable schools for grief 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 grief 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 grief 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. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

6. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

7. Queens College of the City University of New York

Queens, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,338

Cost of attendance

14,281

8. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

9. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

10. California State University - Fullerton

Fullerton, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,886

Cost of attendance

17,645

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for grief counselors

The hardest universities for grief counselors to get into are Northwestern University, Johns Hopkins University, and Boston College.

Some great schools for grief 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 grief 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. Boston College

Chestnut Hill, MA • Private

Admissions rate

28%

SAT average

1,429

4. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,492

5. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,506

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. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

9. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,512

10. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for grief counselors

The easiest schools for grief counselors to get into are Barry University, nyack college, and notre dame de namur university.

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

1. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

2. Nyack College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

999

3. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

4. Kean University

Union, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

991

5. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

6. Texas Woman's University

Denton, TX • Private

Admissions rate

87%

SAT average

1,059

7. Ottawa University

Ottawa, KS • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

1,024

8. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

9. University of the Incarnate Word

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,044

10. Fresno Pacific University

Fresno, CA • Private

Admissions rate

85%

SAT average

1,053

Average grief counselor salary by education level

Grief counselors with a Master's degree earn more than those without, at $43,384 annually. With a Bachelor's degree, grief counselors earn a median annual income of $40,316 compared to $37,833 for grief counselors with an Associate degree.

Grief counselor education level	Grief counselor salary
Master's Degree	$43,384
Bachelor's Degree	$40,316
Some College/ Associate Degree	$37,833

Grief counselor education FAQs

What is the best college for Grief 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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