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Probation counselor education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a probation counselor. Probation counselors usually study criminal justice, psychology, or social work. 72% of probation counselors hold a bachelor's degree, and 15% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 483 real probation counselor resumes to see exactly what probation counselor education sections show.
The most common colleges for probation counselors are the George Mason University and the George Mason University.
There are also many online probation counselor courses to help get the education required to be a probation counselor.
There are certain probation counselor certifications that you should consider. These probation counselor certifications include Certified Professional Counselor and Certified Substance Abuse Counselor (CSAC).
What education do you need to become a probation counselor?
What degree do you need to be a probation counselor?
- Bachelor's, 72%
- Master's, 15%
- Associate, 8%
- High School Diploma, 2%
- Other Degrees, 3%
What should I major in to become a probation counselor?
- Criminal Justice, 33%
- Psychology, 15%
- Social Work, 11%
- Sociology, 6%
- Other Majors, 35%
Most common colleges for probation counselors
| Probation counselor common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| George Mason University | 14.02% |
| University of Memphis | 7.48% |
| University of South Florida | 7.48% |
| Virginia Commonwealth University | 5.61% |
| University of South Carolina - Columbia | 4.67% |
Best majors for probation counselors
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Criminal Justice | 33.3% |
| 2 | Psychology | 14.5% |
| 3 | Social Work | 10.9% |
| 4 | Sociology | 6.4% |
| 5 | Business | 5.8% |
Best colleges for probation counselors
The best colleges for probation counselors are Washington University in St Louis, Boston College, and Boston University.
A probation 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 probation 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 probation counselors.
1. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Enrollment
31,503
2. SUNY at Binghamton
Vestal, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$9,808
Enrollment
13,990
3. University of Washington
Seattle, WA • Private
In-state tuition
$11,207
Enrollment
30,905
4. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Enrollment
31,321
5. Howard University
Washington, DC • Private
In-state tuition
$26,756
Enrollment
6,166
6. SUNY at Albany
Albany, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$10,011
Enrollment
13,434
7. San Jose State University
San Jose, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,796
Enrollment
27,125
8. Coppin State University
Baltimore, MD • Private
In-state tuition
$8,873
Enrollment
2,326
9. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
In-state tuition
$15,262
Enrollment
30,079
10. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Enrollment
18,946
20 best online courses for probation counselors
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Top 10 most affordable universities for probation counselors
The most affordable schools for probation counselors are California State University - Long Beach, hunter college of the city university of new york, and california state university - bakersfield.
If the best universities for probation 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 probation counselors.
1. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
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 - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
4. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
5. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
6. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
7. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
8. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
9. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
10. Minot State University
Minot, ND • Private
In-state tuition
$7,064
Cost of attendance
15,576
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for probation counselors
The hardest universities for probation counselors to get into are Washington University in St Louis, Boston College, and Boston University.
Some great schools for probation 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 probation 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. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,506
2. Boston College
Chestnut Hill, MA • Private
Admissions rate
28%
SAT average
1,429
3. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
4. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
5. SUNY at Binghamton
Vestal, NY • Private
Admissions rate
40%
SAT average
1,376
6. University of Chicago
Chicago, IL • Private
Admissions rate
7%
SAT average
1,520
7. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
8. University of Washington
Seattle, WA • Private
Admissions rate
49%
SAT average
1,347
9. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
Admissions rate
23%
SAT average
1,434
10. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for probation counselors
The easiest schools for probation counselors to get into are Nyack College, kean university, and bluefield college.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a probation 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 probation counselors.
1. Nyack College
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
999
2. Kean University
Union, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
991
3. Bluefield College
Bluefield, VA • Private
Admissions rate
95%
SAT average
980
4. The University of Texas Permian Basin
Odessa, TX • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,046
5. Saint Martin's University
Lacey, WA • Private
Admissions rate
96%
SAT average
1,111
6. Our Lady of the Lake University
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
1,002
7. University of Houston - Downtown
Houston, TX • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
1,012
8. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
9. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
10. Gwynedd Mercy University
Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,031
Average probation counselor salary by education level
| Probation counselor education level | Probation counselor salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $53,970 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $49,912 |
Probation 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