Student support counselor education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a student support counselor. Student support counselors usually study psychology, business, or social work. 63% of student support counselors hold a bachelor's degree, and 14% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 4,915 real student support counselor resumes to see exactly what student support counselor education sections show.

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

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

There are certain student support counselor certifications that you should consider. These student support counselor certifications include Pastoral Counseling Certification and Certified Medical Interpreter - Spanish (CMI).

What education do you need to become a student support counselor?

What degree do you need to be a student support counselor?

The most common degree for student support counselors is bachelor's degree, with 63% of student support counselors earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 14% and master's degree degree at 12%.

Bachelor's, 63%

Master's, 14%

Associate, 12%

High School Diploma, 6%

Other Degrees, 5%

What should I major in to become a student support counselor?

You should major in psychology to become a student support counselor. 27% of student support counselors major in psychology. Other common majors for a student support counselor include business and social work.

Psychology, 27%

Business, 11%

Social Work, 7%

Criminal Justice, 7%

Other Majors, 48%

Most common colleges for student support counselors

Student support counselors often get their degrees at University of Phoenix, Kean University, and Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey. Here are the most common colleges for student support counselors in the US based on their resumes.

Student support counselor common college	Percentages
University of Phoenix	13.72%
Kean University	7.01%
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey	6.10%
Pennsylvania State University	5.49%
California State University - San Bernardino	5.18%

Show more common student support counselor colleges

Best majors for student support counselors

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Psychology	27.2%
2	Business	10.8%
3	Social Work	7.0%
4	Criminal Justice	6.8%
5	Sociology	5.1%

Show more common student support counselor majors

Best colleges for student support counselors

The best colleges for student support counselors are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Johns Hopkins University.

A student support 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 student support 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 student support counselors.

1. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

2. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

3. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,948

Enrollment

17,238

4. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

In-state tuition

$53,740

Enrollment

5,567

5. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

6. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$50,420

Enrollment

7,582

7. SUNY at Albany

Albany, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$10,011

Enrollment

13,434

8. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

9. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Enrollment

31,503

10. San Diego State University

San Diego, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,488

Enrollment

30,018

20 best online courses for student support counselors

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Top 10 most affordable universities for student support counselors

The most affordable schools for student support counselors are Baruch College of the City University of New York, california state university - long beach, and california state university - bakersfield.

If the best universities for student support 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 student support counselors.

1. Baruch College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,262

Cost of attendance

14,046

2. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

3. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

4. Hunter College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,182

Cost of attendance

13,998

5. University of Houston - Victoria

Victoria, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$6,491

Cost of attendance

19,075

6. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

7. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

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. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,240

Cost of attendance

13,991

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for student support counselors

The hardest universities for student support counselors to get into are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Johns Hopkins University.

Some great schools for student support 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 student support 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

SAT average

1,508

2. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,492

3. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

4. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

5. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,520

6. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

7. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

8. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,506

9. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

10. Boston College

Chestnut Hill, MA • Private

Admissions rate

28%

SAT average

1,429

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for student support counselors

The easiest schools for student support counselors to get into are University of North Texas at Dallas, gwynedd mercy university, and barry university.

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

1. University of North Texas at Dallas

Dallas, TX • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

992

2. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

3. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

4. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

5. Ottawa University

Ottawa, KS • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

1,024

6. Kean University

Union, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

991

7. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

8. Holy Family University

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

72%

SAT average

1,017

9. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

10. Our Lady of the Lake University

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

1,002

Average student support counselor salary by education level

Student support counselors with a Doctorate degree earn more than those without, at $46,367 annually. With a Master's degree, student support counselors earn a median annual income of $45,523 compared to $39,226 for student support counselors with an Bachelor's degree.

Student support counselor education level	Student support counselor salary
Master's Degree	$45,523
Bachelor's Degree	$39,226
Doctorate Degree	$46,367

Student support counselor education FAQs

What is the best college for Student Support 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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