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Staff counsel education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a staff counsel. Staff counsels usually study law, psychology, or political science. 51% of staff counsels hold a bachelor's degree, and 20% hold an doctoral degree. We analyzed 3,011 real staff counsel resumes to see exactly what staff counsel education sections show.

The most common colleges for staff counsels are the Pennsylvania State University and the Pennsylvania State University.

There are also many online staff counsel courses to help get the education required to be a staff counsel.

There are certain staff counsel certifications that you should consider. These staff counsel certifications include Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor (ADC) and Certified Substance Abuse Counselor (CSAC).

What education do you need to become a staff counsel?

What degree do you need to be a staff counsel?

The most common degree for staff counsels is bachelor's degree, with 51% of staff counsels earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are doctoral degree degree at 20% and doctoral degree degree at 11%.
  • Bachelor's, 51%
  • Doctorate, 20%
  • Master's, 11%
  • Associate, 9%
  • Other Degrees, 9%

What should I major in to become a staff counsel?

You should major in law to become a staff counsel. 26% of staff counsels major in law. Other common majors for a staff counsel include psychology and political science.

Most common colleges for staff counsels

Staff counsels often get their degrees at Pennsylvania State University, Liberty University, and Hofstra University. Here are the most common colleges for staff counsels in the US based on their resumes.
Staff counsel common collegePercentages
Pennsylvania State University7.54%
Liberty University7.04%
Hofstra University6.03%
University of Miami6.03%
University of Massachusetts Boston5.53%

Best majors for staff counsels

RankMajorPercentages
1Law25.9%
2Psychology16.1%
3Political Science7.0%
4Business6.5%
5Criminal Justice4.8%

Best colleges for staff counsels

The best colleges for staff counsels are Northwestern University, Duke University, and Columbia University in the City of New York.

A staff counsel with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for staff counsels. 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 staff counsels.

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 staff counsels

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Top 10 most affordable universities for staff counsels

The most affordable schools for staff counsels are University of Florida, hunter college of the city university of new york, and california state university - long beach.

If the best universities for staff counsels 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 staff counsels.

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 staff counsels

The hardest universities for staff counsels to get into are Northwestern University, Duke University, and Columbia University in the City of New York.

Some great schools for staff counsels 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 staff counsels 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 staff counsels

The easiest schools for staff counsels 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 staff counsel 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 staff counsels.

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 staff counsel salary by education level

According to our data, staff counsels with a Master's degree earn the highest average salary, at $86,359 annually. Staff counsels with a Bachelor's degree earn an average annual salary of $80,852.
Staff counsel education levelStaff counsel salary
Master's Degree$86,359
High School Diploma or Less$63,860
Bachelor's Degree$80,852
Some College/ Associate Degree$74,217

Staff counsel education FAQs

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
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.

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