Group counselor education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a group counselor. Group counselors usually study psychology, criminal justice, or social work. 61% of group counselors hold a bachelor's degree, and 15% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 2,690 real group counselor resumes to see exactly what group counselor education sections show.

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

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

There are certain group counselor certifications that you should consider. These group counselor certifications include Pastoral Counseling Certification and National Certified Counselor (NCC).

What education do you need to become a group counselor?

What degree do you need to be a group counselor?

The most common degree for group counselors is bachelor's degree, with 61% of group counselors earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 15% and master's degree degree at 12%.

Bachelor's, 61%

Master's, 15%

Associate, 12%

High School Diploma, 6%

Other Degrees, 6%

What should I major in to become a group counselor?

You should major in psychology to become a group counselor. 30% of group counselors major in psychology. Other common majors for a group counselor include criminal justice and social work.

Psychology, 30%

Criminal Justice, 10%

Social Work, 7%

Human Services, 5%

Other Majors, 48%

Most common colleges for group counselors

Group counselors often get their degrees at University of Phoenix, Western Washington University, and California State University - San Bernardino. Here are the most common colleges for group counselors in the US based on their resumes.

Group counselor common college	Percentages
University of Phoenix	10.09%
Western Washington University	9.17%
California State University - San Bernardino	8.72%
University of California - Davis	6.42%
New York University	5.05%

Show more common group counselor colleges

Best majors for group counselors

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Psychology	29.7%
2	Criminal Justice	10.0%
3	Social Work	7.2%
4	Human Services	5.2%
5	Business	4.9%

Show more common group counselor majors

Best colleges for group counselors

The best colleges for group counselors are Boston University, Boston College, and Northwestern University.

A group 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 group 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 group counselors.

1. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Enrollment

31,503

2. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$8,987

Enrollment

18,946

3. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,948

Enrollment

17,238

4. SUNY at Albany

Albany, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$10,011

Enrollment

13,434

5. San Jose State University

San Jose, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,796

Enrollment

27,125

6. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$9,808

Enrollment

13,990

7. Pennsylvania State University

University Park, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$18,454

Enrollment

40,108

8. San Diego State University

San Diego, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,488

Enrollment

30,018

9. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Enrollment

32,072

10. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

20 best online courses for group counselors

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Top 10 most affordable universities for group counselors

The most affordable schools for group counselors are Hunter College of the City University of New York, california state university - long beach, and baruch college of the city university of new york.

If the best universities for group 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 group counselors.

1. Hunter College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,182

Cost of attendance

13,998

2. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

3. Baruch College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,262

Cost of attendance

14,046

4. California State University - Fullerton

Fullerton, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,886

Cost of attendance

17,645

5. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

6. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

7. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

8. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

9. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

10. Minot State University

Minot, ND • Private

In-state tuition

$7,064

Cost of attendance

15,576

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for group counselors

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

Some great schools for group 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 group 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. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

2. Boston College

Chestnut Hill, MA • Private

Admissions rate

28%

SAT average

1,429

3. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,508

4. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

5. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

6. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,506

7. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,492

8. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • Private

Admissions rate

23%

SAT average

1,398

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 group counselors

The easiest schools for group counselors to get into are Nyack College, notre dame de namur university, and kean university.

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

1. Nyack College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

999

2. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

3. Kean University

Union, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

991

4. Texas Woman's University

Denton, TX • Private

Admissions rate

87%

SAT average

1,059

5. Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

1,003

6. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

7. Ottawa University

Ottawa, KS • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

1,024

8. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

9. Felician University

Lodi, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

999

10. Texas A&M University - Kingsville

Kingsville, TX • Private

Admissions rate

89%

SAT average

1,035

Average group counselor salary by education level

According to our data, group counselors with a Master's degree earn the highest average salary, at $54,423 annually. Group counselors with a Bachelor's degree earn an average annual salary of $32,335.

Group counselor education level	Group counselor salary
Master's Degree	$54,423
Bachelor's Degree	$32,335

Group counselor education FAQs

What is the best college for Group Counselors?

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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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