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2024 Best Student Counseling Schools

360 Colleges in the United States
14,506 Student Counseling Degrees Awarded
$44,222 Avg Early-Career Salary
If you plan on majoring in student counseling, you won't be alone since the degree program is ranked #72 in the country in terms of popularity. This means you won't have too much trouble finding schools that offer the degree.

In 2024, College Factual analyzed 360 schools in order to identify the top ones for its Best Student Counseling Schools ranking. Combined, these schools handed out 14,506 degrees in student counseling to qualified students.

What's on this page: * Degree-Level Rankings

Choosing a Great Student Counseling School

Best Student Counseling Schools The student counseling program you select can have a big impact on your future. That's why we developed our collection of Best Schools for Student Counseling rankings. We derive our Best Overall Student Counseling School rankings by rolling up our degree-level rankings after weighting them by the number of degrees awarded at each school.

In order to find the schools that are the best fit for you, you may want to filter to one of the degree levels below.

Student Counseling Rankings by Degree Level

Bachelor's Degrees in Student Counseling
Master's Degrees in Student Counseling
Doctor's Degrees in Student Counseling

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we've developed the Best Student Counseling Schools ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision. You can also filter this list by location to find schools closer to you.

In addition to College Factual's rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don't forget it.

More information on how we come up with our rankings can be found here: College Factual's Data Methodology.

Best Schools for Student Counseling in the United States

The schools below may not offer all types of student counseling degrees so you may want to filter by degree level first. However, they are great for the degree levels they do offer. Only those schools that rank in the top 15% of all the schools we analyze get awarded with a place on this list.

25 Top Schools in Student Counseling

1
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
183 Student Counseling Degrees Awarded
4.4% Growth in Graduates

University of Southern California is a wonderful option for students pursuing a degree in student counseling. Located in the large city of Los Angeles, USC is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #11 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means USC is a great university overall.

There were roughly 183 student counseling students who graduated with this degree at USC in the most recent year we have data available. Soon after graduation, student counseling degree recipients usually earn an average of $43,485 in the first five years of their career.

More information about a degree in student counseling from University of Southern California

2
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
21st Most Popular In NY
52 Student Counseling Degrees Awarded

Teachers College at Columbia University is one of the best schools in the United States for getting a degree in student counseling. Teachers College is a small private not-for-profit university located in the large city of New York. A Best Colleges rank of #12 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Teachers College is a great university overall.

There were roughly 52 student counseling students who graduated with this degree at Teachers College in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in student counseling from Teachers College at Columbia University

3
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
44 Student Counseling Degrees Awarded
$60,700 Median Starting Salary

Seattle University is one of the finest schools in the United States for getting a degree in student counseling. Located in the large city of Seattle, Seattle U is a private not-for-profit university with a medium-sized student population. This university ranks 2nd out of 51 colleges for overall quality in the state of Washington.

There were about 44 student counseling students who graduated with this degree at Seattle U in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the student counseling program at Seattle University get $16,478 above the standard college graduate in this field shortly after graduation.

More information about a degree in student counseling from Seattle University

4
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
3rd Most Popular In MD
31 Student Counseling Degrees Awarded

Any student who is interested in student counseling has to take a look at University of Maryland - College Park. Located in the large suburb of College Park, UMCP is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #42 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means UMCP is a great university overall.

There were about 31 student counseling students who graduated with this degree at UMCP in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in student counseling from University of Maryland - College Park

5
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
71 Student Counseling Degrees Awarded
22.5% Growth in Graduates

UGA is a fairly large public university located in the midsize city of Athens. A Best Colleges rank of #72 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means UGA is a great university overall.

There were roughly 71 student counseling students who graduated with this degree at UGA in the most recent data year. Student Counseling degree recipients from University of Georgia get an earnings boost of around $10,309 above the typical income of student counseling graduates.

More information about a degree in student counseling from University of Georgia

6
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
189 Student Counseling Degrees Awarded
$48,350 Median Starting Salary

Located in the city of Columbia, Mizzou is a public university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 4th out of 48 schools for overall quality in the state of Missouri.

There were about 189 student counseling students who graduated with this degree at Mizzou in the most recent year we have data available. Student Counseling degree recipients from University of Missouri - Columbia receive an earnings boost of around $4,128 above the average earnings of student counseling majors.

More information about a degree in student counseling from University of Missouri - Columbia

7

Located in the suburb of Charlottesville, University of Virginia is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #33 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means University of Virginia is a great university overall.

There were about 23 student counseling students who graduated with this degree at University of Virginia in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the student counseling major at University of Virginia - Main Campus get $5,033 above the typical graduate in this field when they enter the workforce.

More information about a degree in student counseling from University of Virginia - Main Campus

8
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
135 Student Counseling Degrees Awarded
$46,814 Median Starting Salary

NYU is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the city of New York. A Best Colleges rank of #27 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means NYU is a great university overall.

There were approximately 135 student counseling students who graduated with this degree at NYU in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the student counseling degree program at New York University get $2,592 above the average college grad with the same degree shortly after graduation.

More information about a degree in student counseling from New York University

9
UF crest
University of Florida
Gainesville, FL
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
$42,986 Median Starting Salary

UF is a very large public university located in the midsize city of Gainesville. A Best Colleges rank of #58 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means UF is a great university overall.

There were roughly 27 student counseling students who graduated with this degree at UF in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the student counseling program report average early career earnings of $42,986.

More information about a degree in student counseling from University of Florida

10
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
55 Student Counseling Degrees Awarded
23.6% Growth in Graduates

Located in the large city of Nashville, Vanderbilt is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #19 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Vanderbilt is a great university overall.

There were about 55 student counseling students who graduated with this degree at Vanderbilt in the most recent year we have data available. Soon after graduation, student counseling degree recipients generally earn an average of $42,874 at the beginning of their careers.

More information about a degree in student counseling from Vanderbilt University

11

Located in the city of Washington, GWU is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #49 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means GWU is a great university overall.

There were approximately 24 student counseling students who graduated with this degree at GWU in the most recent year we have data available. Those student counseling students who get their degree from George Washington University receive $9,184 more than the standard student counseling graduate.

More information about a degree in student counseling from George Washington University

12
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
$56,234 Median Starting Salary
$41,000 Median Student Debt

Located in the city of Baltimore, Johns Hopkins is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #23 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Johns Hopkins is a great university overall.

There were approximately 8 student counseling students who graduated with this degree at Johns Hopkins in the most recent data year. Student Counseling degree recipients from Johns Hopkins University receive an earnings boost of about $12,012 above the typical income of student counseling graduates.

More information about a degree in student counseling from Johns Hopkins University

13
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
40 Student Counseling Degrees Awarded
$57,458 Median Starting Salary

Located in the suburb of Moraga, SMC is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population. This college ranks 30th out of 168 colleges for overall quality in the state of California.

There were roughly 40 student counseling students who graduated with this degree at SMC in the most recent year we have data available. Those student counseling students who get their degree from Saint Mary's College of California make $13,236 more than the average student counseling graduate.

More information about a degree in student counseling from Saint Mary’s College of California

14
William & Mary crest
William & Mary
Williamsburg, VA
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
98 Student Counseling Degrees Awarded
70.4% Growth in Graduates

William & Mary is a medium-sized public school located in the suburb of Williamsburg. This school ranks 4th out of 63 schools for overall quality in the state of Virginia.

There were approximately 98 student counseling students who graduated with this degree at William & Mary in the most recent year we have data available. Students who graduate with their degree from the student counseling program report average early career earnings of $41,092.

More information about a degree in student counseling from William & Mary

15
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
40 Student Counseling Degrees Awarded
$40,891 Median Starting Salary

Located in the small city of Bloomington, IU Bloomington is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #55 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means IU Bloomington is a great university overall.

There were approximately 40 student counseling students who graduated with this degree at IU Bloomington in the most recent year we have data available. Students who receive their degree from the student counseling program make around $40,891 in the first couple years of their career.

More information about a degree in student counseling from Indiana University - Bloomington

16
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
127 Student Counseling Degrees Awarded
20.5% Growth in Graduates

Clemson is a fairly large public university located in the large suburb of Clemson. This university ranks 1st out of 44 schools for overall quality in the state of South Carolina.

There were approximately 127 student counseling students who graduated with this degree at Clemson in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the student counseling program state that they receive average early career wages of $40,676.

More information about a degree in student counseling from Clemson University

17
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
143 Student Counseling Degrees Awarded
37.1% Growth in Graduates

Located in the suburb of Montclair, Montclair State is a public university with a very large student population. This university ranks 8th out of 44 schools for overall quality in the state of New Jersey.

There were about 143 student counseling students who graduated with this degree at Montclair State in the most recent data year. Student Counseling degree recipients from Montclair State University get an earnings boost of around $9,993 above the typical income of student counseling graduates.

More information about a degree in student counseling from Montclair State University

18
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
42 Student Counseling Degrees Awarded
$63,181 Median Starting Salary

Located in the city of Seattle, SPU is a private not-for-profit university with a small student population. This university ranks 10th out of 51 schools for overall quality in the state of Washington.

There were about 42 student counseling students who graduated with this degree at SPU in the most recent year we have data available. Those student counseling students who get their degree from Seattle Pacific University earn $18,959 more than the typical student counseling student.

More information about a degree in student counseling from Seattle Pacific University

19
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
61 Student Counseling Degrees Awarded
27.9% Growth in Graduates

Located in the suburb of River Forest, Concordia University, Chicago is a private not-for-profit university with a medium-sized student population. This university ranks 5th out of 85 schools for overall quality in the state of Illinois.

There were approximately 61 student counseling students who graduated with this degree at Concordia University, Chicago in the most recent data year. Student Counseling degree recipients from Concordia University, Chicago earn a boost of around $16,556 over the typical earnings of student counseling graduates.

More information about a degree in student counseling from Concordia University, Chicago

20
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
$51,108 Median Starting Salary
$74,081 Median Student Debt

Located in the city of Los Angeles, Loyola Marymount is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 20th out of 168 colleges for overall quality in the state of California.

There were roughly 29 student counseling students who graduated with this degree at Loyola Marymount in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the student counseling program at Loyola Marymount University make $6,886 above the standard college grad in this field when they enter the workforce.

More information about a degree in student counseling from Loyola Marymount University

21
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
161 Student Counseling Degrees Awarded
4.3% Growth in Graduates

Located in the small city of Manhattan, K -State is a public university with a large student population. This university ranks 2nd out of 47 colleges for overall quality in the state of Kansas.

There were about 161 student counseling students who graduated with this degree at K -State in the most recent data year. After graduation, student counseling degree recipients usually make around $42,444 in the first five years of their career.

More information about a degree in student counseling from Kansas State University

22
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
41 Student Counseling Degrees Awarded
34.1% Growth in Graduates

Fresno Pacific is a small private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Fresno. This university ranks 59th out of 168 schools for overall quality in the state of California.

There were about 41 student counseling students who graduated with this degree at Fresno Pacific in the most recent data year. Those student counseling students who get their degree from Fresno Pacific University receive $26,474 more than the average student counseling graduate.

More information about a degree in student counseling from Fresno Pacific University

23
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
$42,908 Median Starting Salary
$53,000 Median Student Debt

Located in the city of Boston, Boston U is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #54 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Boston U is a great university overall.

There were approximately 21 student counseling students who graduated with this degree at Boston U in the most recent year we have data available. After graduation, student counseling degree recipients typically earn around $42,908 in the first five years of their career.

More information about a degree in student counseling from Boston University

24
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
86 Student Counseling Degrees Awarded
$50,591 Median Starting Salary

Located in the small city of Corvallis, Oregon State is a public university with a very large student population. This university ranks 3rd out of 30 schools for overall quality in the state of Oregon.

There were about 86 student counseling students who graduated with this degree at Oregon State in the most recent year we have data available. Those student counseling students who get their degree from Oregon State University earn $6,369 more than the standard student counseling student.

More information about a degree in student counseling from Oregon State University

25
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
26th Most Popular In NY
33.3% Growth in Graduates

Located in the city of Syracuse, Syracuse is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population. This university ranks 12th out of 142 schools for overall quality in the state of New York.

There were approximately 27 student counseling students who graduated with this degree at Syracuse in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in student counseling from Syracuse University

Rest of the Top Best Student Counseling Schools

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27
28
29
30
31
Wake Forest University crest
Wake Forest University
Winston-Salem, NC
32

33
Iowa crest
University of Iowa
Iowa City, IA

34
35
36
37
38
39
40
Duquesne crest
Duquesne University
Pittsburgh, PA
41

42

43
44
Virginia Tech crest
Virginia Tech
Blacksburg, VA
45
46
47
48
49
50
National University crest
National University
San Diego, CA

Additional Award Winners

This section represents the rest of the colleges awarded a Best Student Counseling Schools badge. Showing in this list means the school was ranked in the top 15% of the 360 different United States student counseling schools we analyzed.

RankCollegeLocation
51The College of New JerseyEwing, NJ
52Whitworth UniversitySpokane, WA
53San Diego State UniversitySan Diego, CA
54University of North DakotaGrand Forks, ND

Honorable Mentions

These are some additional schools worth mentioning that are also great but just didn't quite make the cut to earn our top Best Student Counseling Schools award.

RankCollegeLocation
55Concordia University, IrvineIrvine, CA
56Miami University - OxfordOxford, OH
57University of RedlandsRedlands, CA
58Angelo State UniversitySan Angelo, TX
59Lewis & Clark CollegePortland, OR
60Gonzaga UniversitySpokane, WA
61University of North Carolina at CharlotteCharlotte, NC
62North Dakota State University - Main CampusFargo, ND
63Manhattan CollegeRiverdale, NY
64Seton Hall UniversitySouth Orange, NJ
65Fordham UniversityBronx, NY
66University of Nevada - Las VegasLas Vegas, NV
67DePaul UniversityChicago, IL
68University of Missouri - St LouisSaint Louis, MO
69University of ArkansasFayetteville, AR
70Rutgers University - New BrunswickNew Brunswick, NJ
71Wilmington UniversityNew Castle, DE
72University of West AlabamaLivingston, AL

Student Counseling by Region

View the Best Student Counseling Schools for a specific region near you.

Region
Southeast
New England
Rocky Mountains
Plains States
Middle Atlantic
Far Western US
Southwest
Other U.S. Territories
Great Lakes

View All Rankings >

Student Counseling is one of 14 different types of Education programs to choose from.

Student Counseling Concentrations

MajorAnnual Graduates
Counselor Education/School Counseling & Guidance Services12,926
College Student Counseling & Personnel Services1,110
Other Student Counseling & Personnel Services470

View All Student Counseling Focus Areas >

Related MajorAnnual Graduates
Teacher Education Grade Specific110,770
Educational Administration46,975
Teacher Education Subject Specific42,343
Special Education35,973
General Education29,389
Curriculum & Instruction19,217
Instructional Media Design9,224
Teaching English or French5,525
Other Education4,887
Educational Assessment3,853

View All Student Counseling Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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