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Residential counselor education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a residential counselor. Residential counselors usually study psychology, criminal justice, or social work. 59% of residential counselors hold a bachelor's degree, and 15% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 36,723 real residential counselor resumes to see exactly what residential counselor education sections show.
The most common colleges for residential counselors are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.
There are also many online residential counselor courses to help get the education required to be a residential counselor.
There are certain residential counselor certifications that you should consider. These residential counselor certifications include First Aid, CPR and AED Instructor and Pastoral Counseling Certification.
What education do you need to become a residential counselor?
What degree do you need to be a residential counselor?
- Bachelor's, 59%
- Associate, 15%
- High School Diploma, 10%
- Master's, 9%
- Other Degrees, 7%
What should I major in to become a residential counselor?
- Psychology, 29%
- Criminal Justice, 12%
- Social Work, 9%
- Sociology, 7%
- Other Majors, 43%
Most common colleges for residential counselors
| Residential counselor common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Phoenix | 11.69% |
| Norfolk State University | 7.30% |
| University of Massachusetts Boston | 6.64% |
| Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey | 5.34% |
| Virginia State University | 5.18% |
Best majors for residential counselors
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Psychology | 28.7% |
| 2 | Criminal Justice | 11.7% |
| 3 | Social Work | 8.8% |
| 4 | Sociology | 7.5% |
| 5 | Human Services | 7.1% |
Best colleges for residential counselors
The best colleges for residential counselors are Boston College, Boston University, and New York University.
A residential 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 residential 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 residential counselors.
1. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Enrollment
31,503
2. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Enrollment
18,946
3. San Jose State University
San Jose, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,796
Enrollment
27,125
4. Coppin State University
Baltimore, MD • Private
In-state tuition
$8,873
Enrollment
2,326
5. SUNY at Binghamton
Vestal, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$9,808
Enrollment
13,990
6. Pennsylvania State University
University Park, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$18,454
Enrollment
40,108
7. San Diego State University
San Diego, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,488
Enrollment
30,018
8. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Enrollment
32,072
9. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Enrollment
13,871
10. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
20 best online courses for residential counselors
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Top 10 most affordable universities for residential counselors
The most affordable schools for residential counselors are Hunter College of the City University of New York, california state university - long beach, and california state university - fullerton.
If the best universities for residential 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 residential 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 - Fullerton
Fullerton, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,886
Cost of attendance
17,645
4. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
5. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
6. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
7. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
8. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
9. Minot State University
Minot, ND • Private
In-state tuition
$7,064
Cost of attendance
15,576
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 residential counselors
The hardest universities for residential counselors to get into are Boston College, Boston University, and New York University.
Some great schools for residential 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 residential 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. Boston College
Chestnut Hill, MA • Private
Admissions rate
28%
SAT average
1,429
2. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
3. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
4. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
5. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
6. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
Admissions rate
23%
SAT average
1,398
7. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
8. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
9. SUNY at Binghamton
Vestal, NY • Private
Admissions rate
40%
SAT average
1,376
10. Case Western Reserve University
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
29%
SAT average
1,443
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for residential counselors
The easiest schools for residential counselors to get into are Nyack College, kean university, and texas woman's university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a residential 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 residential 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. Texas Woman's University
Denton, TX • Private
Admissions rate
87%
SAT average
1,059
4. Bluefield College
Bluefield, VA • Private
Admissions rate
95%
SAT average
980
5. Ottawa University
Ottawa, KS • Private
Admissions rate
78%
SAT average
1,024
6. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
7. The University of Texas Permian Basin
Odessa, TX • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,046
8. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
9. College of New Rochelle, The
New Rochelle, NY • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
982
10. Gwynedd Mercy University
Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,031
Average residential counselor salary by education level
| Residential counselor education level | Residential counselor salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $36,485 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $32,525 |
Residential 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