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Vocational adviser education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
3 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a vocational adviser. Vocational advisers usually study psychology, social work, or counseling psychology. 76% of vocational advisers hold a bachelor's degree, and 18% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 40 real vocational adviser resumes to see exactly what vocational adviser education sections show.

The most common colleges for vocational advisers are the Minnesota State University - Mankato and the Minnesota State University - Mankato.

There are also many online vocational adviser courses to help get the education required to be a vocational adviser.

What education do you need to become a vocational adviser?

What degree do you need to be a vocational adviser?

The most common degree for vocational advisers is bachelor's degree, with 76% of vocational advisers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 18% and master's degree degree at 6%.
  • Bachelor's, 76%
  • Master's, 18%
  • Doctorate, 6%

What should I major in to become a vocational adviser?

You should major in psychology to become a vocational adviser. 19% of vocational advisers major in psychology. Other common majors for a vocational adviser include social work and counseling psychology.

Most common colleges for vocational advisers

Vocational advisers often get their degrees at Minnesota State University - Mankato, Valley City State University, and Saint Cloud State University. Here are the most common colleges for vocational advisers in the US based on their resumes.
Vocational adviser common collegePercentages
Minnesota State University - Mankato14.81%
Valley City State University7.41%
Saint Cloud State University7.41%
Buena Vista University7.41%
Florida International University7.41%

Best majors for vocational advisers

RankMajorPercentages
1Psychology19.4%
2Social Work12.9%
3Counseling Psychology9.7%
4Education6.5%
5English3.2%

Best colleges for vocational advisers

The best colleges for vocational advisers are University of Pennsylvania, Northwestern University, and Harvard University.

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

1. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

2. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$8,987

Enrollment

18,946

3. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,948

Enrollment

17,238

4. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

5. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$50,420

Enrollment

7,582

6. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

7. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Enrollment

31,503

8. San Diego State University

San Diego, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,488

Enrollment

30,018

9. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

10. University of Connecticut

Storrs, CT • Private

In-state tuition

$15,730

Enrollment

18,830

20 best online courses for vocational advisers

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Top 10 most affordable universities for vocational advisers

The most affordable schools for vocational advisers 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 vocational advisers 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 vocational advisers.

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. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

5. Hunter College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,182

Cost of attendance

13,998

6. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

7. California State University - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,749

Cost of attendance

14,823

8. California State University - Fresno

Fresno, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,587

Cost of attendance

16,915

9. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

10. California State University - Northridge

Northridge, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,893

Cost of attendance

18,870

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for vocational advisers

The hardest universities for vocational advisers to get into are University of Pennsylvania, Northwestern University, and Harvard University.

Some great schools for vocational advisers 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 vocational advisers 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. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,492

2. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,508

3. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

5%

SAT average

1,520

4. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

5. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

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. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

6%

SAT average

1,512

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 vocational advisers

The easiest schools for vocational advisers to get into are Barry University, mount saint mary's university, and gwynedd mercy university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a vocational adviser 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 vocational advisers.

1. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

2. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

3. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

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. Saint Martin's University

Lacey, WA • Private

Admissions rate

96%

SAT average

1,111

7. Our Lady of the Lake University

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

1,002

8. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

9. Fresno Pacific University

Fresno, CA • Private

Admissions rate

85%

SAT average

1,053

10. College of New Rochelle, The

New Rochelle, NY • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

982

Average vocational adviser salary by education level

Vocational advisers with a Doctorate degree earn more than those without, at $43,374 annually. With a Master's degree, vocational advisers earn a median annual income of $43,024 compared to $40,284 for vocational advisers with an Bachelor's degree.
Vocational adviser education levelVocational adviser salary
Master's Degree$43,024
Bachelor's Degree$40,284
Doctorate Degree$43,374

Vocational adviser 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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