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Rehabilitation Counselor Education Requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a rehabilitation counselor. Rehabilitation counselors usually study psychology, rehabilitation science, or criminal justice. 59% of rehabilitation counselors hold a bachelor's degree, and 25% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 3,259 real rehabilitation counselor resumes to see exactly what rehabilitation counselor education sections show.
The most common colleges for rehabilitation counselors are the Wilmington University and the Wilmington University.
There are also many online rehabilitation counselor courses to help get the education required to be a rehabilitation counselor.
There are certain rehabilitation counselor certifications that you should consider. These rehabilitation counselor certifications include Certified Rehabilitation Counselor (CRC) and Certified Professional Counselor.
What education do you need to become a rehabilitation counselor?
What degree do you need to be a rehabilitation counselor?
- Bachelor's, 59%
- Master's, 25%
- Associate, 9%
- High School Diploma, 3%
- Other Degrees, 4%
What should I major in to become a rehabilitation counselor?
- Psychology, 29%
- Criminal Justice, 9%
- Social Work, 8%
- Other Majors, 43%
Most common colleges for rehabilitation counselors
| Rehabilitation Counselor Common College | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Wilmington University | 7.25% |
| University of Maryland - College Park | 7.25% |
| Towson University | 7.00% |
| Delaware State University | 6.50% |
| University of Phoenix | 6.50% |
Best majors for rehabilitation counselors
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Psychology | 28.5% |
| 2 | Rehabilitation Science | 10.6% |
| 3 | Criminal Justice | 8.9% |
| 4 | Social Work | 8.2% |
| 5 | Sociology | 6.1% |
Best colleges for rehabilitation counselors
The best colleges for rehabilitation counselors are Washington University in St Louis, Columbia University in the City of New York, and Boston University.
A rehabilitation 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 rehabilitation 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 rehabilitation counselors.
1. University of Washington
Seattle, WA • Private
In-State Tuition
$11,207
Enrollment
30,905
2. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-State Tuition
$6,410
Enrollment
31,321
3. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-State Tuition
$6,798
Enrollment
31,503
4. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-State Tuition
$7,182
Enrollment
16,205
5. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-State Tuition
$8,987
Enrollment
18,946
6. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-State Tuition
$6,942
Enrollment
13,871
7. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
In-State Tuition
$53,948
Enrollment
17,238
8. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-State Tuition
$59,430
Enrollment
8,216
9. Howard University
Washington, DC • Private
In-State Tuition
$26,756
Enrollment
6,166
10. SUNY at Albany
Albany, NY • Private
In-State Tuition
$10,011
Enrollment
13,434
20 best online courses for rehabilitation counselors
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Top 10 most affordable universities for rehabilitation counselors
The most affordable schools for rehabilitation counselors are Hunter College of the City University of New York, california state university - long beach, and california state university - los angeles.
If the best universities for rehabilitation 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 rehabilitation counselors.
1. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-State Tuition
$7,182
Cost of Attendance
13,998
2. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-State Tuition
$6,798
Cost of Attendance
18,306
3. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-State Tuition
$6,749
Cost of Attendance
14,823
4. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-State Tuition
$6,410
Cost of Attendance
20,456
5. California State University - Fullerton
Fullerton, CA • Private
In-State Tuition
$6,886
Cost of Attendance
17,645
6. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-State Tuition
$5,620
Cost of Attendance
18,136
7. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-State Tuition
$6,556
Cost of Attendance
19,434
8. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-State Tuition
$5,656
Cost of Attendance
21,623
9. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-State Tuition
$7,309
Cost of Attendance
16,714
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 rehabilitation counselors
The hardest universities for rehabilitation counselors to get into are Washington University in St Louis, Columbia University in the City of New York, and Boston University.
Some great schools for rehabilitation 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 rehabilitation 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. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions Rate
6%
SAT Average
1,512
3. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions Rate
22%
SAT Average
1,420
4. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions Rate
19%
SAT Average
1,466
5. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions Rate
8%
SAT Average
1,508
6. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions Rate
20%
SAT Average
1,419
7. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
Admissions Rate
23%
SAT Average
1,398
8. Boston College
Chestnut Hill, MA • Private
Admissions Rate
28%
SAT Average
1,429
9. University of Chicago
Chicago, IL • Private
Admissions Rate
7%
SAT Average
1,520
10. SUNY at Binghamton
Vestal, NY • Private
Admissions Rate
40%
SAT Average
1,376
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for rehabilitation counselors
The easiest schools for rehabilitation counselors to get into are Mount Saint Mary's University, notre dame de namur university, and wayland baptist university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a rehabilitation 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 rehabilitation counselors.
1. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions Rate
84%
SAT Average
1,031
2. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions Rate
82%
SAT Average
983
3. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions Rate
98%
SAT Average
1,003
4. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions Rate
91%
SAT Average
1,006
5. Ottawa University
Ottawa, KS • Private
Admissions Rate
78%
SAT Average
1,024
6. Kean University
Union, NJ • Private
Admissions Rate
86%
SAT Average
991
7. University of North Texas at Dallas
Dallas, TX • Private
Admissions Rate
83%
SAT Average
992
8. Bluefield College
Bluefield, VA • Private
Admissions Rate
95%
SAT Average
980
9. Texas Woman's University
Denton, TX • Private
Admissions Rate
87%
SAT Average
1,059
10. Gwynedd Mercy University
Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private
Admissions Rate
92%
SAT Average
1,031
Average rehabilitation counselor salary by education level
| Rehabilitation Counselor education level | Rehabilitation Counselor salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $45,423 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $40,068 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $42,363 |
Rehabilitation Counselor Education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025