by our College Data Analytics TeamSchool Counselors get to help support students in personal, social, educational, and vocational developments. As the person with the connections and answers, students will look to you for help. It will be your job to encourage and guide students in a direction that will prepare them for their future. The opportunity to help aid students can be in any grade level within elementary, middle, and high school.
In this field you will be required to take classes in ethics, psychology, sociology, counseling services, student development, vocational counseling, and some law courses. The concentrations in this major include elementary, middle, and high school counseling and college and career counseling.
In 2020-2021, student counseling was the 72nd most popular major nationwide with 13,858 degrees awarded. This represents a 1.4% reduction in student counseling degrees awarded over the prior year's total of 14,055.
This year's Best Student Counseling Schools ranking compares 365 of them to identify the best overall programs in the country. Explore this or one of our many other custom student counseling rankings further below.
School counselors have an ability to help students through difficult periods in their life. However, you will be required to work through difficult problems with students who may have attitude or behavior issues. You will need to look past the image of your students and find out what actually motivates them in order to make them successful. Interpersonal skills are necessary as you will be working with many people including students, parents, and teachers. Communication skills are important as you will spend a large chunk of your day talking to people. It is also important to stay organized as you administer and evaluate tests. However, the most important trait to have is to emotionally commit to your students and to show them that you care about them.
Previous work experience with children is a plus. Babysitting, working as a camp counselor or volunteering with a kids program should give you enough exposure to know if working with kids is for you.
student counseling degree applicants generally need have finished high school or their GED. Many schools may also have GPA and SAT/ACT score minimums that must be met. Specific student counseling careers may require a certain level of degree attainment or additional certifications beyond that.
There are many different student counseling degree levels. Student Counseling programs offered by schools range from a to a , which is the highest student counseling degree you can get. Different student counseling degrees vary in how long they take.
| Degree | Credit Requirements | Typical Program Length |
|---|---|---|
| Associate Degree | 60-70 credits | 2 years |
| Bachelor’s Degree | 120 credits | 4 years |
| Master’s Degree | 50-70 credits | 1-3 years |
| Doctorate | Program required coursework including thesis or dissertation | At least 4 years |
A master's degree is the most common level of education achieved by those in careers related to student counseling, with approximately 92.9% of workers getting one. People currently working in careers related to student counseling tend obtained the following education levels.
| Level of Education | Percentage of Workers |
|---|---|
| Master’s Degree | 94.9% |
| High School Diploma | 6.4% |
| Bachelor’s Degree | 0.3% |
| Post-Baccalaureate Certificate | 0.3% |
| Post-Master’s Certificate | 0.2% |
93.1% of student counseling workers have at least a master's. View the chart below to get an idea of what degree level most of those in student counseling careers have.
The education level required is different depending on the student counseling career you are seeking.
This major allows you to become a school guidance counselor or a career and college counselor. You get to work in the school and work with students one-on-one. You will not only teach students, but be a role-model and mentor. Most employers prefer for you to have a master's degree in counseling. This field is expected to grow because of the increase of enrollment in school. However, jobs may be more available in certain parts of the country.
Want a job when you graduate with your student counseling degree? Student Counseling careers are expected to grow 12.6% between 2016 and 2026.
The following options are some of the most in-demand careers related to student counseling.
| Occupation Name | Projected Jobs | Expected Growth |
|---|---|---|
| Educational, Guidance, School, and Vocational Counselors | 328,400 | 12.6% |
Student Counseling graduates between 2017-2019 reported earning an average of $44,223 in the 2019-2020 timeframe. Earnings can range from as low as $18,612 to as high as $71,099. As you might expect, salaries for student counseling graduates vary depending on the level of education that was acquired.
Salaries for student counseling graduates can vary widely by the occupation you choose as well. The following table shows the top highest paying careers student counseling grads often go into.
| Occupation Name | Median Average Salary |
|---|---|
| Educational, Guidance, School, and Vocational Counselors | $60,160 |
With over 862 different student counseling degree programs to choose from, finding the best fit for you can be a challenge. Fortunately you have come to the right place. We have analyzed all of these schools to come up with hundreds of unbiased student counseling school rankings to help you with this.
Student Counseling is one of 14 different types of Education programs to choose from.
| Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Counselor Education/School Counseling & Guidance Services | 12,323 |
| College Student Counseling & Personnel Services | 1,082 |
| Other Student Counseling & Personnel Services | 453 |
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Teacher Education Grade Specific | 110,226 |
| Educational Administration | 46,469 |
| Teacher Education Subject Specific | 43,297 |
| Special Education | 36,792 |
| General Education | 29,810 |
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