Marriage counselor education requirements

Q: What degree do you need to be a marriage counselor?

You will first need to obtain a master's degree from an accredited university in order to be a marriage counselor. Before receiving your master's degree, you will need to have completed undergraduate requirements. Although there is no specific major requirement, a degree in communications or psychology will greatly aid you in graduate school.

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a marriage counselor. Marriage counselors usually study psychology, communication, or business. 67% of marriage counselors hold a bachelor's degree, and 15% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 30 real marriage counselor resumes to see exactly what marriage counselor education sections show.

The most common colleges for marriage counselors are the Argosy University and the Argosy University.

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

What education do you need to become a marriage counselor?

What degree do you need to be a marriage counselor?

The most common degree for marriage counselors is bachelor's degree, with 67% of marriage 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 11%.

Bachelor's, 67%

Master's, 15%

Associate, 11%

High School Diploma, 4%

Other Degrees, 3%

What should I major in to become a marriage counselor?

You should major in psychology to become a marriage counselor. 42% of marriage counselors major in psychology. Other common majors for a marriage counselor include communication and business.

Psychology, 42%

Communication, 10%

Business, 3%

Pastoral Counseling And Specialized Ministries, 3%

Other Majors, 42%

Most common colleges for marriage counselors

Marriage counselors often get their degrees at Argosy University, Concordia College Alabama, and Indiana University East. Here are the most common colleges for marriage counselors in the US based on their resumes.

Marriage counselor common college	Percentages
Argosy University	5.26%
Concordia College Alabama	5.26%
Indiana University East	5.26%
Wingate University	5.26%
Canisius College	5.26%

Show more common marriage counselor colleges

Best majors for marriage counselors

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Psychology	41.9%
2	Communication	9.7%
3	Business	3.2%
4	Pastoral Counseling And Specialized Ministries	3.2%
5	Counseling Psychology	3.2%

Show more common marriage counselor majors

Best colleges for marriage counselors

The best colleges for marriage counselors are Northwestern University, University of Chicago, and Boston University.

A marriage 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 marriage 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 marriage counselors.

1. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,948

Enrollment

17,238

2. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

3. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

4. University of Chicago

Chicago, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$58,230

Enrollment

6,600

5. San Diego State University

San Diego, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,488

Enrollment

30,018

6. Boston College

Chestnut Hill, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,464

Enrollment

9,639

7. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$8,987

Enrollment

18,946

8. Howard University

Washington, DC • Private

In-state tuition

$26,756

Enrollment

6,166

9. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

10. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

20 best online courses for marriage counselors

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Top 10 most affordable universities for marriage counselors

The most affordable schools for marriage 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 marriage 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 marriage 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. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

6. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

7. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

8. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

9. California State University - Fullerton

Fullerton, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,886

Cost of attendance

17,645

10. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for marriage counselors

The hardest universities for marriage counselors to get into are Northwestern University, University of Chicago, and Boston University.

Some great schools for marriage 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 marriage 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. University of Chicago

Chicago, IL • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,520

3. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

4. Boston College

Chestnut Hill, MA • Private

Admissions rate

28%

SAT average

1,429

5. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

6. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,492

7. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

8. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,506

9. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

10. Fordham University

Bronx, NY • Private

Admissions rate

46%

SAT average

1,354

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

The easiest schools for marriage counselors to get into are Barry University, nyack college, and oklahoma wesleyan university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a marriage 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 marriage 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. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

4. Kean University

Union, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

991

5. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

6. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

7. Fresno Pacific University

Fresno, CA • Private

Admissions rate

85%

SAT average

1,053

8. Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

1,003

9. Rochester University

Rochester Hills, MI • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,002

10. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

Average marriage counselor salary by education level

According to our data, marriage counselors with a Master's degree earn the highest average salary, at $50,915 annually. Marriage counselors with a Bachelor's degree earn an average annual salary of $47,976.

Marriage counselor education level	Marriage counselor salary
Master's Degree	$50,915
Bachelor's Degree	$47,976

Marriage counselor education FAQs

What degree do you need to be a marriage counselor?

What is the best college for Marriage 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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