by our College Data Analytics TeamCounseling Psychology was the 90th most popular major in the 2020-2021 school year. Colleges in the United States reported awarding 9,463 degrees in this year alone. This is a difference of 243 over the prior year, a growth of 2.6%.
Our 2023 Best Counseling Psychology Schools ranking analyzes 210 of these schools to determine the best overall colleges for counseling psychology students. Explore this or one of our many other custom counseling psychology rankings further below.
When studying Counseling Psychology, you’ll learn that 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 will help you be successful in a wide range of jobs. Talking to others to convey information effectively and understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents are all required skills for careers related to this major.
New students will need to have completed high school or a GED program and each school will have their own minimum GPA and SAT/ACT test requirements. Once you obtain your degree, additional counseling psychology certifications required to pursue a career in this field.
There are various different levels of counseling psychology degrees. Counseling Psychology programs offered by schools range from a to a , which is the highest counseling psychology degree you can get. The time it takes to complete a counseling psychology degree varies depending on the program.
| 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 bachelor's degree is the most common level of education achieved by those in careers related to counseling psychology, with approximately 34.6% of workers getting one. See the the most common levels of education for counseling psychology workers below.
| Level of Education | Percentage of Workers |
|---|---|
| Bachelor’s Degree | 34.3% |
| Doctoral Degree | 21.2% |
| Post-Doctoral Training | 17.4% |
| Master’s Degree | 16.9% |
| First Professional Degree | 2.7% |
59.0% of counseling psychology workers have at least a master's. See the chart below for the most common degree level workers in counseling psychology have received.
This of course varies depending on which counseling psychology career you choose.
Want a job when you graduate with your counseling psychology degree? Counseling Psychology careers are expected to grow 9.1% between 2016 and 2026.
The following options are some of the most in-demand careers related to counseling psychology.
| Occupation Name | Projected Jobs | Expected Growth |
|---|---|---|
| Managers | 1,071,700 | 8.0% |
| Clinical, Counseling, and School Psychologists | 168,500 | 14.2% |
| Psychology Professors | 54,000 | 15.1% |
As you might expect, salaries for counseling psychology graduates vary depending on the level of education that was acquired.
Salaries for counseling psychology graduates can vary widely by the occupation you choose as well. The following table shows the top highest paying careers counseling psychology grads often go into.
| Occupation Name | Median Average Salary |
|---|---|
| Managers | $115,590 |
| Psychology Professors | $88,490 |
| Clinical, Counseling, and School Psychologists | $85,340 |
With over 452 different counseling psychology 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 counseling psychology school rankings to help you with this.
Counseling Psychology is one of 16 different types of Clinical, Counseling & Applied Psychology programs to choose from.
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Applied Behavior Analysis | 5,497 |
| Clinical Psychology | 5,125 |
| School Psychology | 3,230 |
| Industrial & Organizational Psychology | 2,386 |
| Forensic Psychology | 2,290 |
