Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
Job counselor education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a job counselor. Job counselors usually study psychology, business, or criminal justice. 67% of job counselors hold a bachelor's degree, and 14% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 329 real job counselor resumes to see exactly what job counselor education sections show.
The most common colleges for job counselors are the Bemidji State University and the Bemidji State University.
There are also many online job counselor courses to help get the education required to be a job counselor.
What education do you need to become a job counselor?
What degree do you need to be a job counselor?
- Bachelor's, 67%
- Associate, 14%
- Master's, 12%
- High School Diploma, 2%
- Other Degrees, 5%
What should I major in to become a job counselor?
- Psychology, 16%
- Business, 15%
- Criminal Justice, 8%
- Sociology, 8%
- Other Majors, 53%
Most common colleges for job counselors
| Job counselor common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Bemidji State University | 8.70% |
| Metropolitan State University | 8.70% |
| University of Phoenix | 6.52% |
| University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff | 6.52% |
| Florida State University | 6.52% |
Best majors for job counselors
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Psychology | 16.4% |
| 2 | Business | 15.3% |
| 3 | Criminal Justice | 8.2% |
| 4 | Sociology | 7.7% |
| 5 | Social Work | 7.1% |
Best colleges for job counselors
The best colleges for job counselors are University of Pennsylvania, Northwestern University, and Johns Hopkins University.
A job 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 job 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 job counselors.
1. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
2. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
3. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
4. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Enrollment
31,503
5. SUNY at Albany
Albany, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$10,011
Enrollment
13,434
6. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Enrollment
18,946
7. San Diego State University
San Diego, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,488
Enrollment
30,018
8. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
9. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
10. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
In-state tuition
$53,740
Enrollment
5,567
20 best online courses for job counselors
Advertising disclosure
1. Job Search Success Strategies: Proven Job Hunting Strategies
You Want to Land Your Dream Job? Learn How to Impress Recruiters, Beat the Competition and Win Job Interviews!...
2. Interviewing Skills for Jobs: Ace the Job Interview
Interviewing Skills - How to ace any job interview-Excel in all Job Interviewing skills...
3. Job Search Tips & Career Development PLUS ChatGPT Tips
Get the job you want, build your career and learn essential Chat GPT tips for job search success and career growth...
4. Win Any Job Interview - TOP Strategies For Job Interviews
Job Interview Success to Get Your Dream Job: Skills, Strategies, Hacks. Get Better Job Offers and Make More Money...
5. Job Interviewing: Complete Job Interview Success Course 6HR
Job Interviewing is critical. Learn all key Job Interview skills + demo on answering specific job interview questions...
6. Job Interview Skills Training Course Successful Interviews
Job Interview Skills Training to hit the ground running Interview like a PRO and achieve success in your interviews...
7. The eParachute Introduction to Your Career and Job Search
Discover Your Purpose & Ideal Career w/ the Author of the #1 Career and Job-Hunting Book “What Color is Your Parachute?”...
8. Using LinkedIn to Get a Job Without Going Crazy
A Practical Guide for Job Seekers...
9. Job Seeker's Guide To Nailing Every Interview
Everything you need to know about interviewing so you can get the job of your dreams...
10. Work From Home Jobs: Top 10 Best Freelance Jobs!
Discover the top 10 best work from home jobs. Freelance hourly or project based pay. All you need is a computer!...
11. Triple Your Job Interviews - My Huge Job Interview Secret
In 2015, getting 3 - 6 interviews a week is all about using Linked In to bypass HR and apply directly to hiring managers...
12. How To Love Your Job - Help Yourself and Others
Unlock Professional Success: Master Strategies for Job Satisfaction, Positive Mindset, and Lasting Workplace Impact...
13. Software Testing: Get A Tech Job in Software Testing 2023
Testing, Manual Testing, Software Testing, Qa, Qa Testing, Quality Assurance, Manual Software Testing, Jira & Job tips...
14. Get a Job As a Web Developer: A Step-by-Step Guide
Tips, tricks and industry secrets to help you land that web development job! A step-by-step guide to getting hired...
15. 2023/2024 Compact Job Interview Preparation with Checklist
The 45 mins (not 6HR or 12 HR) Quick & Compact Refresher on Job Interview Preparations...
16. Ace Your Virtual Job Interview
How to turn your virtual job interview into a success story...
17. How To Get A Job In The Video Game Industry
Create a Winning Resume, Portfolio, Linked In Profile & Job Application. Dominate Interviews & Networking...
18. How to Find an Email Address & Get Your Dream Job
Don't get stuck in a pile of resumes for your dream job. Learn how to find email addresses and land the job you want!...
19. P.O.W.E.R.: Proven Interview System to crack your DREAM job
7-Step Proven System to convert every job interview into a job offer...
20. Interview Success: English for Job Interviews
Join 137,000+ Satisfied Students and Get Ahead of the Answers...
Top 10 most affordable universities for job counselors
The most affordable schools for job counselors are Baruch College of the City University of New York, california state university - long beach, and california state university - bakersfield.
If the best universities for job 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 job 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. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
4. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,182
Cost of attendance
13,998
5. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
6. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
7. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
8. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
9. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
10. University of Houston - Victoria
Victoria, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$6,491
Cost of attendance
19,075
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for job counselors
The hardest universities for job counselors to get into are University of Pennsylvania, Northwestern University, and Johns Hopkins University.
Some great schools for job 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 job 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. 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. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
4. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
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. Boston College
Chestnut Hill, MA • Private
Admissions rate
28%
SAT average
1,429
9. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
10. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for job counselors
The easiest schools for job counselors to get into are Barry University, kean university, and university of north texas at dallas.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a job 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 job counselors.
1. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
2. Kean University
Union, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
991
3. University of North Texas at Dallas
Dallas, TX • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
992
4. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
5. Gwynedd Mercy University
Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,031
6. Texas Woman's University
Denton, TX • Private
Admissions rate
87%
SAT average
1,059
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. Ottawa University
Ottawa, KS • Private
Admissions rate
78%
SAT average
1,024
10. Holy Names University
Oakland, CA • Private
Admissions rate
70%
SAT average
849
Average job counselor salary by education level
| Job counselor education level | Job counselor salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $60,393 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $45,118 |
| Doctorate Degree | $62,604 |
Job counselor education FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common community and social services questions.
Search for job counselor jobs
Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025