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Adviser Education Requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become an adviser. Advisers usually study business, english, or education. 56% of advisers hold a bachelor's degree, and 18% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 2,695 real adviser resumes to see exactly what adviser education sections show.
The most common colleges for advisers are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.
There are also many online adviser courses to help get the education required to be an adviser.
There are certain adviser certifications that you should consider. These adviser certifications include Certified Professional - Human Resource (IPMA-CP) and Advanced First Aid & CPR.
What education do you need to become an adviser?
What degree do you need to be an adviser?
- Bachelor's, 56%
- Master's, 18%
- Associate, 9%
- High School Diploma, 7%
- Other Degrees, 10%
What should I major in to become an adviser?
Most common colleges for advisers
Adviser Common College  | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Phoenix | 12.73% |
| New York University | 6.67% |
| Pennsylvania State University | 6.06% |
| California State University - San Bernardino | 6.06% |
| Michigan State University | 5.45% |
Best majors for advisers
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Business | 17.7% |
| 2 | English | 9.5% |
| 3 | Education | 7.0% |
| 4 | Political Science | 6.7% |
| 5 | Psychology | 6.6% |
Best colleges for advisers
The best colleges for advisers are University of Pennsylvania, Northwestern University, and Vanderbilt University.
An adviser with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for advisers. We based this list on several metrics: admissions rate, retention rate, mean earnings of graduates, the ratio of working vs. non-working students ten years after admission, the average cost of attendance, and median debt for graduates who become advisers.
1. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-State Tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
2. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-State Tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
3. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-State Tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
4. San Diego State University
San Diego, CA • Private
In-State Tuition
$7,488
Enrollment
30,018
5. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
In-State Tuition
$53,948
Enrollment
17,238
20 best online courses for advisers
Advertising Disclosure
1. Customer Service & Support For Customer Service Executives
Learn Customer Service Skills & Provide Excellent Customer Support, Customer Experience & How To Manage Upset Customers...
2. Fundamentals of Logistics, Supply Chain & Customer Service
Learn Logistics, Supply Chain and Customer Service. 3 Courses in 1...
3. How to Read Financial Statements: Build Financial Literacy.
Read financial statements and speak the language of business without the drudgery of a traditional accounting course...
4. Customer Service, Customer Support, And Customer Experience
Customer service, customer support, and customer experience training. Loyal clients through world-class customer service...
5. Financial Statement Analysis
Learn how to make understanding financial statements your superpower!...
6. Customer Service Training: Dealing with Difficult Customers
Learn how to deal with difficult customers Master customer relationship management Gain conflict management skills...
7. The Customer: Build a Customer Service Strategy (BITE SIZE)
For you and your team to be successful in providing great customer service, start by putting your customer first...
8. Customer Service Fundamentals: Putting People First
Customer Care Listening Great Customer Service Concern for Others Company Culture Engaging People Responding...
9. Customer Service Mastery: Delight Every Customer
Master Customer Service using this practical customer care course...
10. Customer Service Foundation
An introductory course about understanding the foundations of Customer Service...
Top 10 most affordable universities for advisers
The most affordable schools for advisers are Baruch College of the City University of New York, california state university - bakersfield, and california state university - long beach.
If the best universities for advisers are out of your price range, check out these affordable schools. After factoring in in-state tuition and fees, the average cost of attendance, admissions rate, average net price, and mean earnings after six years, we found that these are the most affordable schools for advisers.
1. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-State Tuition
$7,262
Cost of Attendance
14,046
2. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-State Tuition
$7,309
Cost of Attendance
16,714
3. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-State Tuition
$6,798
Cost of Attendance
18,306
4. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-State Tuition
$8,306
Cost of Attendance
16,091
5. University of Houston - Victoria
Victoria, TX • Private
In-State Tuition
$6,491
Cost of Attendance
19,075
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for advisers
The hardest universities for advisers to get into are University of Pennsylvania, Northwestern University, and Vanderbilt University.
Some great schools for advisers are hard to get into, but they also set your career up for greater success. The list below shows the most challenging universities to get into for advisers based on an institution's admissions rates, average SAT scores accepted, median ACT scores accepted, and mean earnings of students six years after admission.
1. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions Rate
8%
SAT Average
1,492
2. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions Rate
8%
SAT Average
1,508
3. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions Rate
10%
SAT Average
1,514
4. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions Rate
5%
SAT Average
1,520
5. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions Rate
11%
SAT Average
1,513
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for advisers
The easiest schools for advisers to get into are University of North Texas at Dallas, gwynedd mercy university, and barry university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as an adviser without much hassle, check out the list of schools where you will be accepted in no time. We compiled admissions rates, average SAT scores, average ACT scores, and average salary of students six years after graduation to uncover which were the easiest schools to get into for advisers.
1. University of North Texas at Dallas
Dallas, TX • Private
Admissions Rate
83%
SAT Average
992
2. Gwynedd Mercy University
Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private
Admissions Rate
92%
SAT Average
1,031
3. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions Rate
91%
SAT Average
1,006
4. Holy Names University
Oakland, CA • Private
Admissions Rate
70%
SAT Average
849
5. Ottawa University
Ottawa, KS • Private
Admissions Rate
78%
SAT Average
1,024
Average adviser salary by education level
| Adviser education level | Adviser salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $89,512 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $69,269 |
| Doctorate Degree | $92,388 |
Adviser Education FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common community and social services questions.
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025