Resource counselor education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a resource counselor. Resource counselors usually study psychology, social work, or business. 59% of resource counselors hold a bachelor's degree, and 17% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 783 real resource counselor resumes to see exactly what resource counselor education sections show.

The most common colleges for resource counselors are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.

There are also many online resource counselor courses to help get the education required to be a resource counselor.

There are certain resource counselor certifications that you should consider. These resource counselor certifications include Certified Nurse Assistant (CNA) and Pastoral Counseling Certification.

What education do you need to become a resource counselor?

What degree do you need to be a resource counselor?

The most common degree for resource counselors is bachelor's degree, with 59% of resource counselors earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 17% and master's degree degree at 12%.

Bachelor's, 59%

Master's, 17%

Associate, 12%

High School Diploma, 5%

Other Degrees, 7%

What should I major in to become a resource counselor?

You should major in psychology to become a resource counselor. 25% of resource counselors major in psychology. Other common majors for a resource counselor include social work and business.

Psychology, 25%

Social Work, 11%

Business, 9%

Criminal Justice, 6%

Other Majors, 49%

Most common colleges for resource counselors

Resource counselors often get their degrees at University of Phoenix, Temple University, and University of California, Santa Barbara. Here are the most common colleges for resource counselors in the US based on their resumes.

Resource counselor common college	Percentages
University of Phoenix	11.49%
Temple University	8.05%
University of California, Santa Barbara	8.05%
University of California - Davis	6.90%
California State University - San Marcos	6.90%

Show more common resource counselor colleges

Best majors for resource counselors

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Psychology	24.9%
2	Social Work	10.9%
3	Business	8.6%
4	Criminal Justice	6.4%
5	Sociology	5.9%

Show more common resource counselor majors

Best colleges for resource counselors

The best colleges for resource counselors are Johns Hopkins University, University of Pennsylvania, and Columbia University in the City of New York.

A resource 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 resource 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 resource counselors.

1. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Enrollment

31,503

2. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

3. Hunter College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,182

Enrollment

16,205

4. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$8,987

Enrollment

18,946

5. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

6. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$59,430

Enrollment

8,216

7. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

In-state tuition

$53,740

Enrollment

5,567

8. San Jose State University

San Jose, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,796

Enrollment

27,125

9. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

10. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$9,808

Enrollment

13,990

20 best online courses for resource counselors

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Top 10 most affordable universities for resource counselors

The most affordable schools for resource counselors are Hunter College of the City University of New York, california state university - long beach, and baruch college of the city university of new york.

If the best universities for resource 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 resource 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. Baruch College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,262

Cost of attendance

14,046

4. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

5. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

6. California State University - Fullerton

Fullerton, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,886

Cost of attendance

17,645

7. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

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. 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 resource counselors

The hardest universities for resource counselors to get into are Johns Hopkins University, University of Pennsylvania, and Columbia University in the City of New York.

Some great schools for resource 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 resource 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. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

2. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,492

3. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,512

4. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,508

5. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

6. Boston College

Chestnut Hill, MA • Private

Admissions rate

28%

SAT average

1,429

7. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

8. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

9. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,506

10. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for resource counselors

The easiest schools for resource counselors to get into are Mount Saint Mary's University, barry university, and nyack college.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a resource 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 resource counselors.

1. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

2. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

3. Nyack College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

999

4. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

5. Kean University

Union, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

991

6. Texas Woman's University

Denton, TX • Private

Admissions rate

87%

SAT average

1,059

7. Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

1,003

8. Ottawa University

Ottawa, KS • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

1,024

9. Felician University

Lodi, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

999

10. College of New Rochelle, The

New Rochelle, NY • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

982

Average resource counselor salary by education level

Resource counselors with a Doctorate degree earn more than those without, at $44,917 annually. With a Master's degree, resource counselors earn a median annual income of $44,162 compared to $38,490 for resource counselors with an Bachelor's degree.

Resource counselor education level	Resource counselor salary
Master's Degree	$44,162
Bachelor's Degree	$38,490
Doctorate Degree	$44,917

Resource counselor education FAQs

What is the best college for Resource Counselors?

Have more questions? See all answers to common community and social services questions.

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

Updated January 8, 2025

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