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Sexual assault counselor education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a sexual assault counselor. Sexual assault counselors usually study psychology, social work, or criminal justice. 61% of sexual assault counselors hold a bachelor's degree, and 19% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 533 real sexual assault counselor resumes to see exactly what sexual assault counselor education sections show.
The most common colleges for sexual assault counselors are the University of California - Davis and the University of California - Davis.
There are also many online sexual assault counselor courses to help get the education required to be a sexual assault counselor.
There are certain sexual assault counselor certifications that you should consider. These sexual assault counselor certifications include National Certified Counselor (NCC) and Certified Professional Counselor.
What education do you need to become a sexual assault counselor?
What degree do you need to be a sexual assault counselor?
- Bachelor's, 61%
- Master's, 19%
- Associate, 15%
- Doctorate, 2%
- Other Degrees, 3%
What should I major in to become a sexual assault counselor?
- Psychology, 33%
- Social Work, 12%
- Criminal Justice, 10%
- Sociology, 6%
- Other Majors, 39%
Most common colleges for sexual assault counselors
| Sexual assault counselor common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of California - Davis | 9.52% |
| University of Phoenix | 9.52% |
| Michigan State University | 8.33% |
| San Francisco State University | 8.33% |
| California State University - San Bernardino | 7.14% |
Best majors for sexual assault counselors
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Psychology | 33.0% |
| 2 | Social Work | 12.5% |
| 3 | Criminal Justice | 9.7% |
| 4 | Sociology | 5.5% |
| 5 | Human Services | 5.3% |
Best colleges for sexual assault counselors
The best colleges for sexual assault counselors are Boston College, Johns Hopkins University, and University of Pennsylvania.
A sexual assault 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 sexual assault 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 sexual assault 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. Boston College
Chestnut Hill, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,464
Enrollment
9,639
4. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
5. San Diego State University
San Diego, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,488
Enrollment
30,018
6. San Jose State University
San Jose, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,796
Enrollment
27,125
7. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
In-state tuition
$53,740
Enrollment
5,567
8. University of Washington
Seattle, WA • Private
In-state tuition
$11,207
Enrollment
30,905
9. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$53,948
Enrollment
17,238
10. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
20 best online courses for sexual assault counselors
Advertising disclosure
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This community awareness course from the University of Minnesota Program on Human Sexuality will provide you with a solid introduction to human sexuality for those living with disabilities. Often there are assumptions that the disabled or differently abled people are not sexual, do not have sexual needs, or cannot be involved sexually. In this professionally produced one-hour course, you'll learn about the basics of disabilities and human sexuality. We'll then learn about three different...
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7. Prevention of Sexual Harassment Act, India 2013
A complete guide to prevent, prohibit and redress sexual harassment at workplaces in India. Detailed overview on Sexual...
8. Professional Certification in Counseling - Fully Accredited
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9. Couples Counselling using Systemic Family Therapy
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10. Certified Spiritual Counselor & Psychology EmpathACCREDITED
Use a humanistic, soul care approach using strategy, positive psychology, emotional/impulse responses & natural empathy...
11. Trauma Treatment for Children
Calming the Dragon, Using the Body to Improve Care...
12. Sexual Harassment Training for Employees in the Workplace
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18. Abnormal Behavior & Clinical Psychology (Certificate)
Guiding students into the field of mental health services for either personal and/or professional development...
19. Specialized Certificate Course in Psychological Counseling
The course develops your Practical Counseling Skills and Therapeutic Competencies...
20. Mental Health Ambassador Certificate
Be a leader in improving society's mental health and learn to provide mental health first aid...
Top 10 most affordable universities for sexual assault counselors
The most affordable schools for sexual assault 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 sexual assault 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 sexual assault 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. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
5. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
6. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
7. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
8. California State University - Fullerton
Fullerton, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,886
Cost of attendance
17,645
9. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
10. California State University - Fresno
Fresno, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,587
Cost of attendance
16,915
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for sexual assault counselors
The hardest universities for sexual assault counselors to get into are Boston College, Johns Hopkins University, and University of Pennsylvania.
Some great schools for sexual assault 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 sexual assault 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. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
3. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
4. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
5. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
6. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
7. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
8. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
Admissions rate
23%
SAT average
1,398
9. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
10. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,506
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for sexual assault counselors
The easiest schools for sexual assault counselors to get into are Barry University, nyack college, and kean university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a sexual assault 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 sexual assault counselors.
1. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
2. Nyack College
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
999
3. Kean University
Union, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
991
4. Texas Woman's University
Denton, TX • Private
Admissions rate
87%
SAT average
1,059
5. Ottawa University
Ottawa, KS • Private
Admissions rate
78%
SAT average
1,024
6. University of the Incarnate Word
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,044
7. Bluefield College
Bluefield, VA • Private
Admissions rate
95%
SAT average
980
8. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
9. Marymount University
Arlington, VA • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,065
10. Cardinal Stritch University
Milwaukee, WI • Private
Admissions rate
71%
SAT average
1,035
Average sexual assault counselor salary by education level
| Sexual assault counselor education level | Sexual assault counselor salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $57,276 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $54,396 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $52,016 |
Sexual assault 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