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Mental health therapist education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a mental health therapist. Mental health therapists usually study social work, psychology, or counseling psychology. 49% of mental health therapists hold a master's degree, and 44% hold an bachelor's degree. We analyzed 8,085 real mental health therapist resumes to see exactly what mental health therapist education sections show.
The most common colleges for mental health therapists are the Argosy University and the Argosy University.
There are also many online mental health therapist courses to help get the education required to be a mental health therapist.
There are certain mental health therapist certifications that you should consider. These mental health therapist certifications include Mental Health and Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor (ADC).
What education do you need to become a mental health therapist?
What degree do you need to be a mental health therapist?
- Master's, 49%
- Bachelor's, 44%
- Associate, 4%
- Doctorate, 2%
- Other Degrees, 1%
What should I major in to become a mental health therapist?
- Social Work, 24%
- Psychology, 24%
- Other Majors, 36%
Most common colleges for mental health therapists
| Mental health therapist common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Argosy University | 7.73% |
| University of Phoenix | 7.05% |
| Capella University | 6.36% |
| Wayne State University | 6.25% |
| University of Pittsburgh | 6.14% |
Best majors for mental health therapists
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Social Work | 24.0% |
| 2 | Psychology | 23.8% |
| 3 | Counseling Psychology | 8.4% |
| 4 | Mental Health Counseling | 8.1% |
| 5 | School Counseling | 7.2% |
Best colleges for mental health therapists
The best colleges for mental health therapists are Northwestern University, Johns Hopkins University, and University of Pennsylvania.
A mental health therapist with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for mental health therapists. 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 mental health therapists.
1. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Enrollment
31,503
2. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,182
Enrollment
16,205
3. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
4. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$53,948
Enrollment
17,238
5. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
6. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Enrollment
18,946
7. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
8. SUNY at Albany
Albany, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$10,011
Enrollment
13,434
9. San Jose State University
San Jose, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,796
Enrollment
27,125
10. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$59,430
Enrollment
8,216
20 best online courses for mental health therapists
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8. Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT): The Complete Course
Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT)...
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How to manage mental health in the workplace to boost productivity and be the best boss!...
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This course is designed to provide the tools and knowledge for learners to help and support those experiencing MH issues...
11. Cognitive Psychology for Positive Mental Health and Wellness
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19. Treating PTSD, Trauma & Phobias With The Rewind Technique
Learn to treat phobias, PTSD & trauma underlying many problems (depression, anxiety, addictions) often in one session...
20. ISO 45001. Occupational health & safety management system
Upgrate your health and safety career by understanding the requriements for an OH & S management system from ISO 45001...
Top 10 most affordable universities for mental health therapists
The most affordable schools for mental health therapists are Baruch College of the City University of New York, hunter college of the city university of new york, and california state university - long beach.
If the best universities for mental health therapists 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 mental health therapists.
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. 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. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
5. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
6. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
7. California State University - Fullerton
Fullerton, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,886
Cost of attendance
17,645
8. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
9. Minot State University
Minot, ND • Private
In-state tuition
$7,064
Cost of attendance
15,576
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 mental health therapists
The hardest universities for mental health therapists to get into are Northwestern University, Johns Hopkins University, and University of Pennsylvania.
Some great schools for mental health therapists 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 mental health therapists 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. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
3. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
4. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,506
5. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
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. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
10. Fordham University
Bronx, NY • Private
Admissions rate
46%
SAT average
1,354
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for mental health therapists
The easiest schools for mental health therapists to get into are Notre Dame de Namur University, mount saint mary's university, and barry university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a mental health therapist 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 mental health therapists.
1. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
2. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
3. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
4. Kean University
Union, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
991
5. Nyack College
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
999
6. Life University
Marietta, GA • Private
Admissions rate
94%
SAT average
979
7. Texas Woman's University
Denton, TX • Private
Admissions rate
87%
SAT average
1,059
8. College of New Rochelle, The
New Rochelle, NY • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
982
9. Ottawa University
Ottawa, KS • Private
Admissions rate
78%
SAT average
1,024
10. Rosemont College
Rosemont, PA • Private
Admissions rate
89%
SAT average
1,026
Average mental health therapist salary by education level
| Mental health therapist education level | Mental health therapist salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $55,039 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $45,118 |
Mental health therapist 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