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Senior counselor education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a senior counselor. Senior counselors usually study law, psychology, or business. 56% of senior counselors hold a bachelor's degree, and 18% hold an doctoral degree. We analyzed 10,383 real senior counselor resumes to see exactly what senior counselor education sections show.
The most common colleges for senior counselors are the New York Law School and the New York Law School.
There are also many online senior counselor courses to help get the education required to be a senior counselor.
There are certain senior counselor certifications that you should consider. These senior counselor certifications include Pastoral Counseling Certification and Certified Substance Abuse Counselor (CSAC).
What education do you need to become a senior counselor?
What degree do you need to be a senior counselor?
- Bachelor's, 56%
- Doctorate, 18%
- Master's, 13%
- Associate, 7%
- Other Degrees, 6%
What should I major in to become a senior counselor?
- Law, 24%
- Psychology, 14%
- Business, 9%
- Other Majors, 47%
Most common colleges for senior counselors
| Senior counselor common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| New York Law School | 9.32% |
| New York University | 7.54% |
| Temple University | 6.13% |
| Georgetown University | 5.62% |
| University of Maryland - College Park | 5.49% |
Best majors for senior counselors
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Law | 23.6% |
| 2 | Psychology | 14.4% |
| 3 | Business | 8.8% |
| 4 | Political Science | 6.4% |
| 5 | Social Work | 5.4% |
Best colleges for senior counselors
The best colleges for senior counselors are Northwestern University, Duke University, and Columbia University in the City of New York.
A senior 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 senior 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 senior counselors.
1. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$55,695
Enrollment
6,596
2. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
In-state tuition
$15,262
Enrollment
30,079
3. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
4. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$59,430
Enrollment
8,216
5. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
In-state tuition
$53,399
Enrollment
7,356
6. University of California - Davis
Davis, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$14,402
Enrollment
30,698
7. University of Washington
Seattle, WA • Private
In-state tuition
$11,207
Enrollment
30,905
8. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
9. Howard University
Washington, DC • Private
In-state tuition
$26,756
Enrollment
6,166
10. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
20 best online courses for senior counselors
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Top 10 most affordable universities for senior counselors
The most affordable schools for senior counselors are University of Florida, hunter college of the city university of new york, and california state university - long beach.
If the best universities for senior 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 senior counselors.
1. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
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. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,262
Cost of attendance
14,046
6. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
7. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
8. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
9. University of Washington
Seattle, WA • Private
In-state tuition
$11,207
Cost of attendance
25,275
10. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Cost of attendance
25,527
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for senior counselors
The hardest universities for senior counselors to get into are Northwestern University, Duke University, and Columbia University in the City of New York.
Some great schools for senior 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 senior 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. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
2. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
Admissions rate
9%
SAT average
1,516
3. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
4. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
5. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,506
6. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
7. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
8. Yale University
New Haven, CT • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,517
9. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
10. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
17%
SAT average
1,507
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for senior counselors
The easiest schools for senior counselors to get into are Barry University, university of north texas at dallas, and life university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a senior 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 senior counselors.
1. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
2. University of North Texas at Dallas
Dallas, TX • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
992
3. Life University
Marietta, GA • Private
Admissions rate
94%
SAT average
979
4. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
5. Bluefield College
Bluefield, VA • Private
Admissions rate
95%
SAT average
980
6. Kean University
Union, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
991
7. D'Youville College
Buffalo, NY • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,072
8. University of Baltimore
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
78%
SAT average
1,020
9. Gwynedd Mercy University
Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,031
10. Nyack College
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
999
Average senior counselor salary by education level
| Senior counselor education level | Senior counselor salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $158,637 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $120,523 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $149,400 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $138,196 |
Senior counselor education FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common personal care and attendants questions.
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025