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High school counselor education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a high school counselor. High school counselors usually study school counseling, psychology, or education. 55% of high school counselors hold a bachelor's degree, and 35% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 1,478 real high school counselor resumes to see exactly what high school counselor education sections show.
The most common colleges for high school counselors are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.
There are also many online high school counselor courses to help get the education required to be a high school counselor.
There are certain high school counselor certifications that you should consider. These high school counselor certifications include Pastoral Counseling Certification and Certified Professional Counselor.
What education do you need to become a high school counselor?
What degree do you need to be a high school counselor?
- Bachelor's, 55%
- Master's, 35%
- Associate, 6%
- High School Diploma, 2%
- Other Degrees, 2%
What should I major in to become a high school counselor?
- School Counseling, 21%
- Psychology, 16%
- Education, 10%
- Other Majors, 45%
Most common colleges for high school counselors
| High school counselor common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Phoenix | 14.79% |
| Western Michigan University | 6.34% |
| National University | 5.63% |
| Texas State University | 4.93% |
| University of California, Santa Barbara | 4.93% |
Best majors for high school counselors
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | School Counseling | 20.6% |
| 2 | Psychology | 15.6% |
| 3 | Education | 9.6% |
| 4 | Counseling Psychology | 8.0% |
| 5 | Business | 6.4% |
Best colleges for high school counselors
The best colleges for high school counselors are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Johns Hopkins University.
A high school 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 high school 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 high school counselors.
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. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
4. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
5. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
In-state tuition
$53,740
Enrollment
5,567
6. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
7. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Enrollment
31,503
8. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$59,430
Enrollment
8,216
9. University of Maryland - College Park
College Park, MD • Private
In-state tuition
$10,595
Enrollment
30,184
10. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
In-state tuition
$49,816
Enrollment
6,840
20 best online courses for high school counselors
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Top 10 most affordable universities for high school counselors
The most affordable schools for high school counselors are Baruch College of the City University of New York, california state university - long beach, and hunter college of the city university of new york.
If the best universities for high school 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 high school 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. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,182
Cost of attendance
13,998
4. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
5. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
6. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
7. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
8. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Cost of attendance
25,527
9. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
10. California State University - Fresno
Fresno, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,587
Cost of attendance
16,915
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for high school counselors
The hardest universities for high school counselors to get into are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Johns Hopkins University.
Some great schools for high school 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 high school 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
8%
SAT average
1,508
2. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
3. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
4. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
5. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
6. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
7. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
8. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
9. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,506
10. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for high school counselors
The easiest schools for high school counselors to get into are Gwynedd Mercy University, barry university, and mount saint mary's university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a high school 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 high school counselors.
1. Gwynedd Mercy University
Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,031
2. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
3. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
4. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
5. Ottawa University
Ottawa, KS • Private
Admissions rate
78%
SAT average
1,024
6. University of North Texas at Dallas
Dallas, TX • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
992
7. Holy Family University
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
72%
SAT average
1,017
8. Felician University
Lodi, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
81%
SAT average
999
9. Texas Woman's University
Denton, TX • Private
Admissions rate
87%
SAT average
1,059
10. Saint Martin's University
Lacey, WA • Private
Admissions rate
96%
SAT average
1,111
Average high school counselor salary by education level
| High school counselor education level | High school counselor salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $52,898 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $46,074 |
| Doctorate Degree | $53,807 |
High school counselor education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025