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Primary therapist education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a primary therapist. Primary therapists usually study psychology, social work, or mental health counseling. 49% of primary therapists hold a master's degree, and 42% hold an bachelor's degree. We analyzed 2,779 real primary therapist resumes to see exactly what primary therapist education sections show.
The most common colleges for primary therapists are the Florida Atlantic University and the Florida Atlantic University.
There are also many online primary therapist courses to help get the education required to be a primary therapist.
There are certain primary therapist certifications that you should consider. These primary therapist certifications include Diplomate in Clinical Social Work (DCSW) and Certification in Forensic Social Work (CFSW).
What education do you need to become a primary therapist?
What degree do you need to be a primary therapist?
- Master's, 49%
- Bachelor's, 42%
- Associate, 5%
- Doctorate, 3%
- Other Degrees, 1%
What should I major in to become a primary therapist?
- Psychology, 23%
- Social Work, 21%
- Other Majors, 39%
Most common colleges for primary therapists
| Primary therapist common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Florida Atlantic University | 9.61% |
| New York University | 8.73% |
| Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey | 8.73% |
| Barry University | 7.86% |
| Nova Southeastern University | 6.99% |
Best majors for primary therapists
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Psychology | 22.7% |
| 2 | Social Work | 21.0% |
| 3 | Mental Health Counseling | 10.4% |
| 4 | School Counseling | 7.2% |
| 5 | Counseling Psychology | 6.9% |
Best colleges for primary therapists
The best colleges for primary therapists are Northwestern University, Johns Hopkins University, and University of Pennsylvania.
A primary 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 primary 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 primary 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 primary therapists
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1. Health After Cancer: Cancer Survivorship for Primary Care
This course presents basic principles of cancer survivorship to primary-care physicians. Developed by a team of experts in caring for cancer survivors, and narrated by a primary-care physician, this course provides practical tips and tools that can be easily integrated into medical practice. You will learn about the complex physical and psychosocial needs and concerns of the growing number of cancer survivors, along with the key role that primary care physicians have in guiding these patients...
2. Health for All Through Primary Health Care
This course explores why primary health care is central for achieving Health for All. It provides examples of how primary health care has been instrumental in approaching this goal in selected populations and how the principles of primary health care can guide future policies and actions. Two of the most inspiring, least understood, and most often derided terms in global health discourse are “Health for All” and “Primary Health Care.” In this course, we will explore these terms in the context...
3. Addiction & Mental Health (Dual Diagnosis) Integrative 12hrs
Substance Abuse & Mental Health Interventions: Drug & Alcohol Addiction & Mental Health - Integrative Holistic Approach...
4. Addiction & Mental Health - Chemically Speaking Two (2hrs)
Substance Abuse & Mental Health Interventions - Understand Drug & Alcohol Addiction & Mental Health. How to help people...
5. Addiction Treatment: Clinical Skills for Healthcare Providers
This course is designed with a singular goal: to improve the care you provide to your patients with substance use disorders. By delving into a model case performed by actors, seven Yale instructors from various fields provide techniques to screen your patients for substance use disorder risk, diagnose patients to gauge the severity of their use, directly manage treatment plans, refer out to treatment services, and navigate the various conditions that may limit your patient’s access to treatment...
6. Operations and Patient Safety for Healthcare IT Staff
Now that you've been introduced to the world of Health IT and the important role played by electronic health records (EHRs), we'll focus on other technologies that play a role in maintaining ongoing operations in healthcare. Telemedicine, patient portals, barcode scanners, printers, and medical devices are just some of the technologies that impact providers and patients. As an IT support specialist, you’ll be asked to troubleshoot issues with a wide variety of tools. You'll see a scenario with...
7. Advanced Training for Trauma Treatment of Complex PTSD
Complex PTSD...
8. Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT): The Complete Course
Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT)...
9. Prehospital care of acute stroke and patient selection for endovascular treatment using the RACE scale
Acute stroke is a time-dependent medical emergency. In acute ischemic stroke, the first objective is to restore brain flow using sistemic thrombolytic treatment and, in patients with large vessel occlusion, by endovascular treatment. In hemorrhagic stroke there are also specific treatments that can improve the clinical outcome. The sooner the initiation of all these therapies the higher the clinical benefit. Thus, the organization of Stroke Code systems coordinated between emergency medical...
10. The Critical Role of IT Support Staff in Healthcare
This is a very exciting time to be exploring a career in Health IT Support! In this introductory course, you’ll learn about various roles in IT support that are common in healthcare. IT support staff play critical roles in many different healthcare venues. In addition to helping clinics, hospitals, and emergency rooms, you may end up providing support in a skilled nursing facility, ambulatory surgical center, virtual care setting, or even a patient’s home! On any given day, you may interact...
11. Crisis Intervention Seminar
The emphasis is on the development of fundamental clinical skills in the area of crisis intervention...
12. Treating PTSD, Trauma & Phobias With The Rewind Technique
Learn to treat phobias, PTSD & trauma underlying many problems (depression, anxiety, addictions) often in one session...
13. The Comprehensive PTSD Course
**The Only Dedicated & Comprehensive PTSD Course On The (UDEMY) Platform! – Everything You Need To Know About PTSD**...
14. Managing mental health issues in the workplace
Learn how to support your own mental health and wellbeing and that of your staff...
15. Abnormal Behavior & Clinical Psychology (Certificate)
Guiding students into the field of mental health services for either personal and/or professional development...
16. The Complete EMDR Therapy Course - Accredited Certification
International EMDR Training for Self-Healing, Trauma Therapy, Childhood Healing, PTSD, Grief, and Counseling...
17. CBT: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy For Therapists & Coaches
Comprehensive CBT Therapy Training Cognitive Behavior Therapy Practitioner Level Treat Anxiety, Depression & More...
18. Trauma Treatment for Children
Calming the Dragon, Using the Body to Improve Care...
19. Providing Trauma-Informed Care
Exploring psychological trauma and how to provide care and compassion to trauma survivors...
20. [Accredited] Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) Counselor
Learn DBT in depth, start conducting sessions with ready to use templates, and set up counseling practice within weeks!...
Top 10 most affordable universities for primary therapists
The most affordable schools for primary 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 primary 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 primary 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 primary therapists
The hardest universities for primary therapists to get into are Northwestern University, Johns Hopkins University, and University of Pennsylvania.
Some great schools for primary 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 primary 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 primary therapists
The easiest schools for primary 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 primary 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 primary 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 primary therapist salary by education level
| Primary therapist education level | Primary therapist salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $65,390 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $53,827 |
Primary therapist education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025