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Sex therapist education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a sex therapist. Sex therapists usually study psychology, social work, or counseling psychology. 56% of sex therapists hold a master's degree, and 34% hold an bachelor's degree. We analyzed 138 real sex therapist resumes to see exactly what sex therapist education sections show.
The most common colleges for sex therapists are the Argosy University and the Argosy University.
There are also many online sex therapist courses to help get the education required to be a sex therapist.
What education do you need to become a sex therapist?
What degree do you need to be a sex therapist?
- Master's, 56%
- Bachelor's, 34%
- Associate, 4%
- Doctorate, 4%
- Other Degrees, 2%
What should I major in to become a sex therapist?
- Psychology, 25%
- Social Work, 18%
- Other Majors, 37%
Most common colleges for sex therapists
| Sex therapist common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Argosy University | 10.81% |
| Colorado State University | 8.11% |
| Ohio State University | 5.41% |
| Wichita State University | 5.41% |
| Washington University in St Louis | 5.41% |
Best majors for sex therapists
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Psychology | 25.4% |
| 2 | Social Work | 17.5% |
| 3 | Counseling Psychology | 10.5% |
| 4 | School Counseling | 8.8% |
| 5 | Criminal Justice | 6.1% |
Best colleges for sex therapists
The best colleges for sex therapists are Northwestern University, Washington University in St Louis, and Columbia University in the City of New York.
A sex therapist with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for sex therapists. 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 sex therapists.
1. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Enrollment
18,946
2. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
In-state tuition
$53,399
Enrollment
7,356
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. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$53,948
Enrollment
17,238
6. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
7. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
8. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$59,430
Enrollment
8,216
9. SUNY at Albany
Albany, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$10,011
Enrollment
13,434
10. San Jose State University
San Jose, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,796
Enrollment
27,125
20 best online courses for sex therapists
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Top 10 most affordable universities for sex therapists
The most affordable schools for sex therapists are Hunter College of the City University of New York, baruch college of the city university of new york, and california state university - long beach.
If the best universities for sex therapists 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 sex therapists.
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. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,262
Cost of attendance
14,046
3. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
4. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
5. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
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. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
9. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
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 sex therapists
The hardest universities for sex therapists to get into are Northwestern University, Washington University in St Louis, and Columbia University in the City of New York.
Some great schools for sex therapists 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 sex therapists 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. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,506
3. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
4. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
5. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
6. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
7. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
8. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
9. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
Admissions rate
23%
SAT average
1,398
10. Boston College
Chestnut Hill, MA • Private
Admissions rate
28%
SAT average
1,429
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for sex therapists
The easiest schools for sex therapists to get into are Notre Dame de Namur University, mount saint mary's university, and barry university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a sex therapist 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 sex therapists.
1. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
2. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
3. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
4. Kean University
Union, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
991
5. Texas Woman's University
Denton, TX • Private
Admissions rate
87%
SAT average
1,059
6. Ottawa University
Ottawa, KS • Private
Admissions rate
78%
SAT average
1,024
7. College of New Rochelle, The
New Rochelle, NY • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
982
8. Nyack College
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
999
9. D'Youville College
Buffalo, NY • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,072
10. Marymount University
Arlington, VA • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,065
Average sex therapist salary by education level
| Sex therapist education level | Sex therapist salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $57,425 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $52,757 |
| Doctorate Degree | $61,354 |
Sex therapist education FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common healthcare practitioner and technical questions.
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025