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College Student Counseling

A program that focuses on the organization and provision of counseling, referral, assistance and administrative services to students in postsecondary educational institutions and adult education facilities, and that may prepare individuals to function as professional counselors in such settings. Includes instruction in applicable laws and policies, residential counseling and services, vocational counseling and placement services, remedial skills counseling, and therapeutic counselor intervention.

Types of Degrees College Student Counseling Majors Are Earning

Those studying College Student Counseling may pursue degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	2
Bachelor’s Degree	12
Master’s Degree	903
Doctor’s Degree	35

What College Student Counseling Majors Need to Know

Coursework for College Student Counseling build a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that College Student Counseling graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

This major prepares you for careers needing College Student Counseling emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Customer and Personal Service — Importance 4.3 / 5; level 5.5 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Education and Training — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Administration and Management — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Public Safety and Security — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.2 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

Skills developed in a College Student Counseling program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Social Perceptiveness — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Monitoring — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 3.7 / 7.
• Service Orientation — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 3.4 / 7.

Abilities

The cognitive and physical abilities most relevant to College Student Counseling careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Oral Expression — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Problem Sensitivity — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.
• Speech Clarity — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 3.6 / 7.
• Speech Recognition — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, College Student Counseling graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	4.5 / 7
Assisting and Caring for Others	4.5 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	4.4 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.3 / 7
Getting Information	4.3 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.2 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	4.1 / 7
Documenting/Recording Information	4.0 / 7
Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards	3.9 / 7
Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings	3.9 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by College Student Counseling professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	✓
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	✓
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	—
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
Email software	Electronic mail software	—
Google Docs	Word processing software	—
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Word processing software	Word processing software	—
Budgeting software	Accounting software	—
Survey software	Analytical or scientific software	—
Website development software	Web page creation and editing software	—

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for College Student Counseling graduates include:

• Resident Advisor
• Residential Life Director
• Hall Director
• Residential Director
• House Mother
• Housing Director
• Resident Monitor
• Residence Hall Director
• Residential Specialist
• Residence Life Director
• Residential Counselor
• Residential Aide
• Cottage Parent
• Hall Coordinator
• Dormitory Counselor

What Can You Do With a College Student Counseling Degree?

Graduates with a degree in College Student Counseling commonly enter the following occupations:

Occupation	Job Growth	Median Salary	25th–75th Pctile
Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors	5.9%	$87,699	$72,729–$102,669

^{Job-growth = projected employment change for the parent occupation. Source: ONET / BLS Employment Projections.*}

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to College Student Counseling graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Bachelor’s degree	38.7%
Some college courses	35.4%
Master’s degree	14.4%
Less than a high school diploma	5.2%
Doctoral degree	4.5%
High school diploma or equivalent	1.0%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	0.7%
Post-master’s certificate	0.1%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in College Student Counseling?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly female, with women earning 77.1% of College Student Counseling degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	734	77.1%
Men	218	22.9%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of College Student Counseling graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	518	54.4%
Asian	34	3.6%
Hispanic or Latino	161	16.9%
Black or African American	146	15.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native	7	0.7%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	2	0.2%
Two or More Races	38	4.0%
Race Unknown	9	0.9%
International Students	37	3.9%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do College Student Counseling Graduates Earn?

Federal data tracks median earnings of College Student Counseling graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Earnings tend to climb steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$52,264
4 years	$54,366
5 years	$60,575

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $60,575 — roughly 16% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Online College Student Counseling Programs

Online study is tracked by IPEDS for College Student Counseling. The table below shows how many graduates earned at least some of their coursework online (Distance-Ed Available) versus completing the entire program online (Distance-Ed Only).

Award Level	Distance-Ed Available	Distance-Ed Only
Master’s	11	10

^{Distance-Ed Only = degrees completed entirely online; Distance-Ed Available = degrees including at least some online coursework. Source: IPEDS Completions by Distance Education status.}

Is a Degree in College Student Counseling Worth It?

Looking purely at the federal earnings tracker, College Student Counseling graduates earn a median of $54,366 four years after completion — roughly 43% above the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000).

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	Annual Degrees Awarded
Student Counseling and Personnel Services	13,714
Counselor Education/School Counseling and Guidance Services	12,270
Student Counseling and Personnel Services, Other	492

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.