Substance abuse counselor education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a substance abuse counselor. Substance abuse counselors usually study psychology, social work, or criminal justice. 57% of substance abuse counselors hold a bachelor's degree, and 25% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 18,741 real substance abuse counselor resumes to see exactly what substance abuse counselor education sections show.

The most common colleges for substance abuse counselors are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.

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

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

What education do you need to become a substance abuse counselor?

What degree do you need to be a substance abuse counselor?

The most common degree for substance abuse counselors is bachelor's degree, with 57% of substance abuse counselors earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 25% and master's degree degree at 14%.

Bachelor's, 57%

Master's, 25%

Associate, 14%

High School Diploma, 2%

Other Degrees, 2%

What should I major in to become a substance abuse counselor?

You should major in psychology to become a substance abuse counselor. 25% of substance abuse counselors major in psychology. Other common majors for a substance abuse counselor include social work and criminal justice.

Psychology, 25%

Social Work, 13%

Criminal Justice, 9%

Mental Health Counseling, 9%

Other Majors, 44%

Most common colleges for substance abuse counselors

Substance abuse counselors often get their degrees at University of Phoenix, Florida State University, and Troy University. Here are the most common colleges for substance abuse counselors in the US based on their resumes.

Substance abuse counselor common college	Percentages
University of Phoenix	12.62%
Florida State University	9.74%
Troy University	6.09%
Liberty University	5.83%
Springfield College	5.57%

Show more common substance abuse counselor colleges

Best majors for substance abuse counselors

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Psychology	25.1%
2	Social Work	13.5%
3	Criminal Justice	9.4%
4	Mental Health Counseling	8.7%
5	Human Services	8.2%

Show more common substance abuse counselor majors

Best colleges for substance abuse counselors

The best colleges for substance abuse counselors are Northwestern University, Johns Hopkins University, and University of Pennsylvania.

A substance abuse 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 substance abuse 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 substance abuse counselors.

1. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Enrollment

31,503

2. Hunter College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,182

Enrollment

16,205

3. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

4. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,948

Enrollment

17,238

5. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

6. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$8,987

Enrollment

18,946

7. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

8. SUNY at Albany

Albany, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$10,011

Enrollment

13,434

9. San Jose State University

San Jose, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,796

Enrollment

27,125

10. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$59,430

Enrollment

8,216

20 best online courses for substance abuse counselors

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1. Addiction & Mental Health - Chemically Speaking Two (2hrs)

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Substance Abuse & Mental Health Interventions - Understand Drug & Alcohol Addiction & Mental Health. How to help people...

2. Addiction & Mental Health (Dual Diagnosis) Integrative 12hrs

4.7

(1,529)

Substance Abuse & Mental Health Interventions: Drug & Alcohol Addiction & Mental Health - Integrative Holistic Approach...

3. [Accredited] Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) Counselor

4.3

(419)

Learn DBT in depth, start conducting sessions with ready to use templates, and set up counseling practice within weeks!...

4. Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT): The Complete Course

4.7

(291)

Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT)...

5. Crisis Intervention Seminar

4.4

(634)

The emphasis is on the development of fundamental clinical skills in the area of crisis intervention...

6. NEW! Complete Guide to Substance Painter 2022

4.5

(300)

Learn Texturing in Substance Painter from Beginners to Advanced Level with 3 complete projects...

7. Accredited Professional Counselling Diploma For Sexual Abuse

4.5

(250)

Fully Accredited Course For Counsellors Of Sexual Abuse With Easy Techniques To Survive The Trauma Of Abuse...

8. Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT) Certificate

4.7

(296)

Become a Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT) practitioner and help people improve their mental health...

9. Learn the ART of Substance Painter

4.4

(707)

Learn to use the latest Substance Painter (and Designer) and become a professional game environment texture artist...

10. Anger Management & Conflict Resolution Program - (4 hours)

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How to manage anger and ensure it does not explode into rage. Enhance your life by building quality relationships...

11. Scene Creation with Blender and Substance Painter

4.6

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Use Blender and Substance Painter to create an interior scene for animation, games, or architectural visualization...

12. Substance Designer Basics: Create a Video Game Material

4.7

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Learn to create professional quality textures for video games with the industry standard tool, Substance Designer...

13. Certified Spiritual Counselor & Psychology EmpathACCREDITED

4.7

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Use a humanistic, soul care approach using strategy, positive psychology, emotional/impulse responses & natural empathy...

14. Substance Designer 2020: Stylized material creation.

4.6

(452)

Learn all the fundamentals to create materials from scratch using the powerful node system of Substance Designer...

15. Psychology and Therapy of Addictions -ACCREDITED CERTIFICATE

4.8

(1,618)

Working with alcohol and drugs addictions, substance misuse and rehabilitation helper, counselling, psychotherapy, coach...

16. CBT: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy For Therapists & Coaches

4.6

(1,500)

Comprehensive CBT Therapy Training Cognitive Behavior Therapy Practitioner Level Treat Anxiety, Depression & More...

17. Abnormal Behavior & Clinical Psychology (Certificate)

4.4

(383)

Guiding students into the field of mental health services for either personal and/or professional development...

18. Metacognitive Therapy

4.8

(315)

Learn MCT, a cognitive psychotherapy based on CBT, that helps clients tackle the root of their anxiety and depression...

19. Introduction to CBT: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

4.1

(4,774)

Online Counselling & Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) Training Course...

20. Managing mental health issues in the workplace

4.1

(891)

Learn how to support your own mental health and wellbeing and that of your staff...

Top 10 most affordable universities for substance abuse counselors

The most affordable schools for substance abuse counselors are Baruch College of the City University of New York, hunter college of the city university of new york, and california state university - long beach.

If the best universities for substance abuse 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 substance abuse 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. 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. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

6. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

7. California State University - Fullerton

Fullerton, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,886

Cost of attendance

17,645

8. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

9. Minot State University

Minot, ND • Private

In-state tuition

$7,064

Cost of attendance

15,576

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 substance abuse counselors

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

Some great schools for substance abuse 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 substance abuse 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. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

3. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,492

4. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,506

5. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,512

6. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

7. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

8. Boston College

Chestnut Hill, MA • Private

Admissions rate

28%

SAT average

1,429

9. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

10. Fordham University

Bronx, NY • Private

Admissions rate

46%

SAT average

1,354

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for substance abuse counselors

The easiest schools for substance abuse counselors 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 substance abuse 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 substance abuse counselors.

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. Nyack College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

999

6. Life University

Marietta, GA • Private

Admissions rate

94%

SAT average

979

7. Texas Woman's University

Denton, TX • Private

Admissions rate

87%

SAT average

1,059

8. College of New Rochelle, The

New Rochelle, NY • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

982

9. Ottawa University

Ottawa, KS • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

1,024

10. Rosemont College

Rosemont, PA • Private

Admissions rate

89%

SAT average

1,026

Average substance abuse counselor salary by education level

According to our data, substance abuse counselors with a Master's degree earn the highest average salary, at $50,728 annually. Substance abuse counselors with a Bachelor's degree earn an average annual salary of $39,245.

Substance abuse counselor education level	Substance abuse counselor salary
Master's Degree	$50,728
Bachelor's Degree	$39,245

Substance abuse counselor education FAQs

What is the best college for Substance Abuse 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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