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Peer counselor education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a peer counselor. Peer counselors usually study psychology, business, or sociology. 61% of peer counselors hold a bachelor's degree, and 16% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 4,660 real peer counselor resumes to see exactly what peer counselor education sections show.
The most common colleges for peer counselors are the Mississippi State University and the Mississippi State University.
There are also many online peer counselor courses to help get the education required to be a peer counselor.
There are certain peer counselor certifications that you should consider. These peer counselor certifications include Certified Peer Specialist (CPS) and Pastoral Counseling Certification.
What education do you need to become a peer counselor?
What degree do you need to be a peer counselor?
- Bachelor's, 61%
- Associate, 16%
- High School Diploma, 9%
- Master's, 8%
- Other Degrees, 6%
What should I major in to become a peer counselor?
- Psychology, 26%
- Business, 10%
- Sociology, 6%
- Criminal Justice, 6%
- Other Majors, 52%
Most common colleges for peer counselors
| Peer counselor common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Mississippi State University | 9.43% |
| University of California, Santa Barbara | 9.14% |
| University of Phoenix | 7.71% |
| University of California - Davis | 7.43% |
| New York University | 5.71% |
Best majors for peer counselors
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Psychology | 26.4% |
| 2 | Business | 10.3% |
| 3 | Sociology | 6.4% |
| 4 | Criminal Justice | 6.2% |
| 5 | Social Work | 5.7% |
Best colleges for peer counselors
The best colleges for peer counselors are University of Pennsylvania, Johns Hopkins University, and Northwestern University.
A peer 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 peer 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 peer counselors.
1. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
2. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
In-state tuition
$53,740
Enrollment
5,567
3. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
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. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Enrollment
18,946
7. University of Virginia
Charlottesville, VA • Private
In-state tuition
$17,653
Enrollment
16,405
8. San Diego State University
San Diego, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,488
Enrollment
30,018
9. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
10. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
20 best online courses for peer counselors
Advertising disclosure
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5. HI-FIVE: Health Informatics For Innovation, Value & Enrichment (Social/Peer Perspective)
HI-FIVE (Health Informatics For Innovation, Value & Enrichment) Training is an approximately 10-hour online course designed by Columbia University in 2016, with sponsorship from the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC). The training is role-based and uses case scenarios. No additional hardware or software are required for this course. Our nation’s healthcare system is changing at a rapid pace. Transformative health care delivery programs depend heavily on...
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The Retail Customer Service course examines the day-to-day tasks that will be tackled in a retail customer service setting, including advanced skills such as returns and exchanges. You will apply guidelines for transactions such as sales, returns, exchanges, and data entry for customer information in real simulations. You will also observe the skills within a retail community location, evaluating the types of tasks observed and shared with a group of peers. You will complete sample transactions...
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13. Addiction & Mental Health - Chemically Speaking Two (2hrs)
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16. Mental Health and Wellness Professional (MHW) Diploma Course
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18. Certified Spiritual Counselor & Psychology EmpathACCREDITED
Use a humanistic, soul care approach using strategy, positive psychology, emotional/impulse responses & natural empathy...
19. Public Relations: Media Crisis Communications
Public Relations: You Can Shape and Control Your Media Messages at The Worst Possible Times...
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Top 10 most affordable universities for peer counselors
The most affordable schools for peer 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 peer 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 peer 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. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
6. University of Houston - Victoria
Victoria, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$6,491
Cost of attendance
19,075
7. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
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. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for peer counselors
The hardest universities for peer counselors to get into are University of Pennsylvania, Johns Hopkins University, and Northwestern University.
Some great schools for peer 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 peer 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. 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. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
5. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
6. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
7. Boston College
Chestnut Hill, MA • Private
Admissions rate
28%
SAT average
1,429
8. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
9. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
10. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for peer counselors
The easiest schools for peer counselors to get into are Gwynedd Mercy University, barry university, and holy names university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a peer 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 peer 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. Holy Names University
Oakland, CA • Private
Admissions rate
70%
SAT average
849
4. Ottawa University
Ottawa, KS • Private
Admissions rate
78%
SAT average
1,024
5. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
6. Kean University
Union, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
991
7. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
8. Holy Family University
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
72%
SAT average
1,017
9. University of North Texas at Dallas
Dallas, TX • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
992
10. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
Average peer counselor salary by education level
| Peer counselor education level | Peer counselor salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $42,382 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $35,049 |
| Doctorate Degree | $43,387 |
Peer counselor 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