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Guidance adviser education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
3 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a guidance adviser. Guidance advisers usually study psychology, social work, or criminal justice. 73% of guidance advisers hold a bachelor's degree, and 20% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 41 real guidance adviser resumes to see exactly what guidance adviser education sections show.
The most common colleges for guidance advisers are the University of North Florida and the University of North Florida.
There are also many online guidance adviser courses to help get the education required to be a guidance adviser.
What education do you need to become a guidance adviser?
What degree do you need to be a guidance adviser?
- Bachelor's, 73%
- Master's, 20%
- Doctorate, 3%
- Associate, 3%
What should I major in to become a guidance adviser?
- Psychology, 19%
- Social Work, 10%
- Criminal Justice, 6%
- Communication, 6%
- Other Majors, 59%
Most common colleges for guidance advisers
| Guidance adviser common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of North Florida | 10.00% |
| Capella University | 5.00% |
| University of Northern Iowa | 5.00% |
| California State University - San Marcos | 5.00% |
| Boston University | 5.00% |
Best majors for guidance advisers
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Psychology | 19.4% |
| 2 | Social Work | 9.7% |
| 3 | Criminal Justice | 6.5% |
| 4 | Communication | 6.5% |
| 5 | History | 6.5% |
Best colleges for guidance advisers
The best colleges for guidance advisers are University of Pennsylvania, Johns Hopkins University, and Northwestern University.
A guidance adviser with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for guidance advisers. 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 guidance advisers.
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. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Enrollment
9,142
4. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
5. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Enrollment
31,503
6. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$53,948
Enrollment
17,238
7. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
8. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
In-state tuition
$53,740
Enrollment
5,567
9. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
In-state tuition
$15,262
Enrollment
30,079
10. San Diego State University
San Diego, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,488
Enrollment
30,018
20 best online courses for guidance advisers
Advertising disclosure
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Top 10 most affordable universities for guidance advisers
The most affordable schools for guidance advisers are California State University - Bakersfield, hunter college of the city university of new york, and california state university - long beach.
If the best universities for guidance advisers 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 guidance advisers.
1. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
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. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,262
Cost of attendance
14,046
5. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
6. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
7. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
8. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
9. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
10. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for guidance advisers
The hardest universities for guidance advisers to get into are University of Pennsylvania, Johns Hopkins University, and Northwestern University.
Some great schools for guidance advisers 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 guidance advisers 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. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
3. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
4. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
5. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
6. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
7. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
8. Boston College
Chestnut Hill, MA • Private
Admissions rate
28%
SAT average
1,429
9. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
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 guidance advisers
The easiest schools for guidance advisers to get into are Barry University, gwynedd mercy university, and kean university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a guidance adviser 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 guidance advisers.
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. Kean University
Union, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
991
4. Nyack College
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
999
5. Ottawa University
Ottawa, KS • Private
Admissions rate
78%
SAT average
1,024
6. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
7. Holy Family University
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
72%
SAT average
1,017
8. Our Lady of the Lake University
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
1,002
9. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
10. Felician University
Lodi, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
81%
SAT average
999
Average guidance adviser salary by education level
| Guidance adviser education level | Guidance adviser salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $97,308 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $79,244 |
| Doctorate Degree | $99,804 |
Guidance adviser education FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common community and social services questions.
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025