by our College Data Analytics TeamA major in Counselor Education/School Counseling & Guidance Services covers Counselor Education/school Counseling And Guidance Services. A Program That Prepares Individuals To Apply The Theory And Principles Of Guidance And Counseling To The Provision Of Support For The Personal, Social, Educational, And Vocational Development Of Students, And The Organizing Of Guidance Services Within Elementary, Middle And Secondary Educational Institutions. Includes Instruction In Legal And Professional Requirements, Therapeutic Counselor Intervention, Vocational Counseling, And Related Sociological And Psychological Foundations. Read on to learn the essential details every counselor education/school counseling & guidance services student should know — including career paths, salary data, the skills you will develop, and the best colleges offering counselor education/school counseling & guidance services programs.
Nationwide, counselor education/school counseling & guidance services is a popular field of study, with 12,270 degrees awarded annually.
Our 2026 Best Counselor Education/School Counseling & Guidance Services Schools ranking analyzes these 421 schools to determine the best overall colleges for counselor education/school counseling & guidance services students. Continue reading to check out one of our many unbiased rankings of counselor education/school counseling & guidance services programs later in this article.
Studies in Counselor Education/School Counseling & Guidance Services emphasize a specific mix of skills, knowledge, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in the occupations counselor education/school counseling & guidance services graduates commonly enter.
Skills developed in a counselor education/school counseling & guidance services program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:
According to O*NET, a counselor education/school counseling & guidance services major emphasizes the following knowledge areas:
There are several counselor education/school counseling & guidance services degree levels. The table below shows the typical length of the most common levels, and how many graduates earn each one.
| Degree | Typical Program Length | Graduates Annually |
|---|---|---|
| Certificate | Varies | 12 |
| Associate Degree | 2 years | 4 |
| Bachelor’s Degree | 4 years | 2 |
| Master’s Degree | 1-3 years | 11,839 |
| Doctorate | At least 4 years | 413 |
People currently working in careers related to counselor education/school counseling & guidance services tend to have obtained the following education levels.
| Level of Education | Percentage of Workers |
|---|---|
| Bachelor’s degree | 56.3% |
| Master’s degree | 40.7% |
| Associate’s degree (or other 2-year) | 2.5% |
| Post-master’s certificate | 0.5% |
See the chart below to get an idea of what level of education most of those in counselor education/school counseling & guidance services careers hold.
Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*
Studying counselor education/school counseling & guidance services prepares you for a variety of career paths. Here are some of the most common occupations related to counselor education/school counseling & guidance services.
The following options are some of the most in-demand careers related to counselor education/school counseling & guidance services.
| Occupation | Projected Jobs | Expected Growth |
|---|---|---|
| Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors | 204,799 | 5.9% |
College Scorecard reports median earnings of counselor education/school counseling & guidance services graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Wages typically rise as graduates gain experience.
| Years Out | Median Earnings |
|---|---|
| 1 year | $52,264 |
| 4 years | $54,366 |
| 5 years | $60,575 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.
Salaries for counselor education/school counseling & guidance services graduates vary widely by occupation. The following table shows the top highest-paying careers counselor education/school counseling & guidance services grads often go into.
| Occupation | Median Annual Salary |
|---|---|
| Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors | $87,699 |
With 421 different counselor education/school counseling & guidance services programs to choose from, finding the best fit can be a challenge. We have analyzed these schools to produce unbiased counselor education/school counseling & guidance services school rankings to help you.
Those considering counselor education/school counseling & guidance services, you may also want to explore other closely related fields of study within the same broad area.
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| College Student Counseling and Personnel Services | 952 |
| Student Counseling and Personnel Services, Other | 492 |
More about our data sources and methodologies.
