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College Student Counseling Major

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College Student Counseling

0 Bachelor's Degrees Annually
931 Master's Degrees Annually
#82 in Popularity
$60,160 Median Salary

Types of Degrees College Student Counseling Majors Are Getting

The following table lists how many college student counseling and personnel services graduations there were in 2020-2021 for each degree level.

Education Level Number of Grads
Master’s Degree 931
Graduate Certificate 117
Doctor’s Degree 33
Basic Certificate 1

What College Student Counseling Majors Need to Know

In an O*NET survey, college student counseling majors were asked to rate what knowledge areas, skills, and abilities were important in their occupations. These answers were weighted on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being the most important.

Knowledge Areas for College Student Counseling Majors

This major prepares you for careers in which these knowledge areas are important:

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  • Therapy and Counseling - Knowledge of principles, methods, and procedures for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and for career counseling and guidance.
  • Psychology - Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.
  • Education and Training - Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
  • English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
  • Clerical - Knowledge of administrative and clerical procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office procedures and terminology.

Skills for College Student Counseling Majors

A major in college student counseling prepares you for careers in which the following skill-sets are crucial:

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  • Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
  • Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
  • Social Perceptiveness - Being aware of others’ reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
  • Service Orientation - Actively looking for ways to help people.
  • Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.

Abilities for College Student Counseling Majors

As a college student counseling major, you will find yourself needing the following abilities:

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  • Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
  • Problem Sensitivity - The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem.
  • Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
  • Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
  • Written Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.

What Can You Do With a College Student Counseling Major?

Below is a list of occupations associated with college student counseling:

Job Title Job Growth Rate Median Salary
Educational, Guidance, School, and Vocational Counselors 12.6% $56,310

How Much Do College Student Counseling Majors Make?

Salaries According to BLS

The median salary for someone in a career related to college student counseling is $60,160. This median refers to all degree levels, so you may expect those with a more advanced degree to make more while those with less advanced degrees will typically make less.

To put that into context, according to BLS data from the first quarter of 2020, the typical high school graduate makes between $30,000 and $57,900 a year (25th through 75th percentile). The average person with a bachelor’s degree (any field) makes between $45,600 and $99,000. Advanced degree holders make the most with salaries between $55,600 and $125,400.

Median Salary for a College Student Counseling Major  60,160
0K
250K
Median Salary for a High School Graduate  ( 30000 to 57900 )
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250K
Median Salary for a Bachelor's Degree Holder  ( 45600 to 99000 )
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250K
Median Salary for an Advanced Degree Holder  ( 55600 to 125400 )
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250K

Some degrees associated with college student counseling may require an advanced degree, while others may not even require a bachelor’s in the field. In general, the more advanced your degree the more career options will open up to you. However, there is significant time and money that needs to be invested into your education so weigh the pros and cons.

Find out what the typical degree level is for college student counseling careers below.

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Education Level Percentage of Workers
High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED) 6.4%
Bachelor’s Degree 0.3%
Post-Baccalaureate Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Baccalaureate degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees carrying the title of Master. 0.3%
Master’s Degree 94.9%
Post-Master’s Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Master’s degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees at the doctoral level. 0.2%

Online College Student Counseling Programs

In 2020-2021, 81 schools offered a college student counseling program of some type. The following table lists the number of programs by degree level, along with how many schools offered online courses in the field.

Degree Level Colleges Offering Programs Colleges Offering Online Classes
Certificate (Less Than 1 Year) 0 0
Certificate (1-2 years) 0 0
Certificate (2-4 Years) 0 0
Associate’s Degree 0 0
Bachelor’s Degree 19 6
Post-Baccalaureate 0 0
Master’s Degree 69 6
Post-Master’s 9 0
Doctor’s Degree (Research) 8 0
Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice) 0 0
Doctor’s Degree (Other) 1 1

Is a Degree in College Student Counseling Worth It?

The median salary for a college student counseling grad is $60,160 per year. This is based on the weighted average of the most common careers associated with the major.

This is 51% more than the average salary for an individual holding a high school degree. This adds up to a gain of about $405,200 after 20 years!

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You may also be interested in one of the following majors related to college student counseling.

Major Number of Grads
Counselor Education/School Counseling & Guidance Services 12,323
Other Student Counseling & Personnel Services 453

References

*The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity was unknown. This number is then divided by the total number of students at the school to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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