2027 Best College Degrees With Academic Advising
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Choosing a degree for academic advising is less straightforward than choosing a major with the same name: colleges hire advisors from several fields, and requirements vary by role. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported a $65,140 median annual wage in May 2024 for school and career counselors and advisors, a broad occupation that includes - but is not limited to - college advising roles. If you are entering the field or considering a master's degree, this guide compares relevant paths and shows how to check whether a program's cost, training, and experience opportunities fit your goal.
Key Things You Should Know
- For general college academic advising, education, higher education, student affairs, counseling-related, and psychology degrees usually offer the most direct preparation; a subject-specific master's can fit specialized advising.
- A bachelor's degree can qualify applicants for some advising jobs, while other employers prefer a master's degree or substantial student-services experience. A master's is not a universal requirement.
- Compare supervised experience and total cost alongside the degree title. An online program may still require a locally arranged practicum or scheduled live participation.
Top 10 Best College Degrees With Academic Advising
Business Programs
A master's in business administration, management, or organizational leadership can suit advisors working with business students, especially those planning internships or career transitions. It may also support later student-services management roles. Look for coursework in communication, data analysis, and organizational change, but do not assume business training replaces advising practice. If your goal is a general academic advisor position, compare this path with a higher education or student affairs master's that includes direct work with students.
Healthcare Programs
A master's in public health or health administration may help an advisor explain healthcare career pathways, prerequisites, and program applications. That subject knowledge is particularly useful in pre-health or health-professions advising. These degrees generally prepare students for healthcare-related work, not advising specifically, so seek student-facing experience as well. Check the exact admissions and placement requirements before enrolling; a healthcare master's does not, by itself, qualify someone for a clinical license.
Information Technology Programs
A master's in information technology can fit advisors supporting IT students or technology-enabled student services. Knowledge of systems, cybersecurity pathways, and data handling may help with specialized advising, but technical expertise is not a substitute for clear, supportive student communication. Compare programs for applied projects and opportunities to learn how colleges use student information systems. Choose this route primarily if you also want an IT career option; a student affairs degree is usually more direct for general advising.
Computer Science Programs
A master's in computer science offers deeper preparation for advising students about computing coursework, research, and graduate study. Many programs expect prior programming and mathematics preparation, making this a potentially demanding route for career changers. It is most sensible if you want to remain connected to computing as a discipline. For broad-based academic advising, weigh the extra technical coursework against a master's focused on higher education and student development.
Nursing Programs
A master's in nursing may fit a licensed nurse moving into nursing-student advising or academic support. Clinical experience can provide useful context for discussing demanding course sequences and placements. Most nursing master's programs require an eligible nursing credential and have a purpose beyond advising; an MSN is not the standard entry route for someone without a nursing background. Verify admission prerequisites, clinical requirements, and any separate licensure rules before choosing it over an education-focused degree.
Psychology Programs
A master's in psychology can strengthen an advisor's understanding of learning, motivation, and research, particularly when paired with student-services experience. Program purposes vary: some emphasize research, while others prepare students for further professional training. Psychology and academic advising are not the same as licensed mental health counseling. If you want to provide therapy, investigate a license-eligible counseling or psychology pathway rather than assuming a general psychology master's will qualify you.
Education Programs
A master's in higher education, student affairs, or educational leadership is often the closest match for college academic advising. Relevant programs may cover student development, advising practice, college policy, and assessment, with an internship or assistantship that provides direct experience. Compare the curriculum carefully: a teaching-focused education master's may serve a different goal. Ask whether experiential placements are available to part-time or online students and whether the program prepares graduates for advising rather than school-counselor licensure.
Criminal Justice Programs
A master's in criminal justice may suit advisors who work with criminal justice students and understand the field's varied employment requirements. It is a specialized choice, not a usual prerequisite for academic advising. Pair it with advising, admissions, tutoring, or student-success work so employers can see both subject expertise and student-support skills. If your main goal is advising students across majors, a higher education or student affairs program may provide a better curricular fit.
Engineering Programs
A master's in engineering can be valuable for advising engineering students through tightly sequenced curricula, projects, and professional pathways. Admission commonly depends on substantial technical preparation, so it is rarely the most efficient route into general advising. Consider it if you also want to teach, research, or work in engineering. If advising is the primary goal, compare the technical degree's time and cost with education-focused study plus experience in an engineering student-services office.
Social Work Programs
A master of social work develops skills in assessment, communication, and connecting people with support services. Those skills can help in student-facing roles, but academic advisors should refer clinical or crisis needs to qualified professionals. MSW programs typically include supervised field education, which may be difficult to schedule around full-time work. Choose this path if social work practice is also a serious goal; clinical social work licensure requires additional state-specific steps beyond graduation.
What college degrees prepare students for academic advising careers?
There is no single required academic advising major. A bachelor's degree in education, psychology, communication, or a subject the advisor supports can provide a starting point. For graduate study, higher education and student affairs are generally the most directly aligned fields; specialized master's degrees make more sense when subject expertise is central to the job.
The comparison below separates a degree's main purpose from its potential advising value. Use it to decide whether you need broad student-support training or deeper knowledge of a particular discipline.
| Degree path | Primary preparation | Best advising fit |
| Relevant bachelor's degree | Subject knowledge and transferable communication skills | Entry-level roles that provide advising training |
| Master's in higher education or student affairs | College students, institutions, and support practice | General college advising and student success |
| Master's in a discipline such as business or engineering | Advanced subject expertise | Advising students in that discipline |
| Master's in counseling or social work | Helping skills and, in some programs, professional practice | Student-facing work when the curriculum fits the role |
If a job posting names a particular degree, use that requirement over a general recommendation. Also check whether the position is academic advising, career counseling, or mental health counseling: similar titles can lead to different training and licensing expectations.
Colleges often consider a bachelor's degree for academic advisor positions, especially when applicants have experience in admissions, tutoring, orientation, peer mentoring, or other student services. Some roles prefer a master's degree in higher education, counseling, education, or a related field. Employers may also value familiarity with degree audits, course sequencing, referral practices, and student-record privacy.
For a career changer, the most useful next step may be practical experience rather than an immediate graduate degree. Compare postings from the kinds of colleges where you want to work, note their stated qualifications, and look for assistantships or part-time student-support roles. Applicants concerned about how a record may affect college admission can explore online colleges that accept felons, but should separately ask prospective employers about hiring policies; admission and employment are different decisions.
College academic advisors generally do not need a universal state advising license or certification. An employer may offer training or prefer a professional credential, but requirements depend on the position. A certification can demonstrate development; it does not replace a degree or automatically qualify someone for a job.
Do not confuse academic advising with licensed counseling. School counselors, mental health counselors, clinical social workers, and other regulated professionals face separate state requirements that may include specified degrees, supervised practice, and examinations. Check the duties in the job description - and the applicable state board's rules - before enrolling in a program on the assumption that it leads to licensure.
Start by verifying the college's institutional accreditation through the institution and its recognized accreditor. This matters for educational quality review and can affect federal aid eligibility and how other schools evaluate credits. Then check whether your intended profession requires separate programmatic accreditation.
There is no single programmatic accreditor that every academic advising degree must have. Higher education and student affairs programs may be offered within accredited institutions without an advising-specific programmatic credential. Counseling, social work, nursing, and other professional degrees have distinct accreditation and licensing considerations. If you might pursue one of those professions, verify the exact program and state requirements; institutional accreditation alone may not establish license eligibility.
Programs most directly relevant to academic advising commonly examine student development, higher education systems, equity and access, advising approaches, research or assessment, and how to connect students with appropriate campus resources. A field-specific master's instead devotes more coursework to its discipline, so you may need to gain advising skills through work or an internship.
Pay particular attention to the culminating requirement. A supervised practicum or assistantship can help you practice conversations, referrals, and degree-planning support; a thesis may be better suited to research ambitions. Neither format is automatically superior. Ask who arranges placements, what duties students perform, and whether online learners can complete the requirement near home.
An online degree can provide relevant academic preparation when it has an appropriate curriculum, credible faculty, and meaningful student-facing experience. Delivery format alone does not establish that an online or campus program is more effective. Campus study may make it easier to access on-site assistantships; online study may make graduate education feasible while working elsewhere.
Check the schedule rather than relying on the word "online." Classes may have live meetings and fixed deadlines, while internships or practica can require in-person work at an approved site. Ask how placements are secured and supervised, particularly if you live far from the university. For advising careers, the opportunity to demonstrate work with students may matter more than whether lectures occur online.
A bachelor's degree commonly involves about four years of full-time study from the beginning; a master's often takes one to several years, depending on credits, enrollment, course sequencing, and experiential requirements. Transfer credit may shorten a bachelor's path, but a school must first determine which credits satisfy the intended degree. Do not assume undergraduate credits apply to graduate requirements.
Total cost depends on required credits, tuition, mandatory and program fees, books, and any travel or lost work time associated with a placement. Compare a complete degree estimate, not just a per-credit rate. An accelerated degree program may reduce time in school, but confirm its admission assumptions, course load, and remaining requirements before treating a shorter advertised timeline as a personal estimate.
Academic advising degrees can support applications for academic advisor, student success coach, retention specialist, or related student-services positions. Progression to supervisory roles depends on experience and an employer's requirements; a master's does not automatically bring promotion. Field-specific graduates may also pursue work outside advising, although those careers can have separate qualifications.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics' May 2024 median wage for school and career counselors and advisors was $65,140. That is an occupational median across multiple settings - not the expected pay for a new college advisor or the earnings of graduates from any degree listed here. Compare local job postings, likely starting pay, and the cost of any additional credential before borrowing. If earnings flexibility is a major goal, compare advising with easy degrees to get online that pay well, while checking the actual entry requirements for each occupation.
How can students choose a reputable academic advising program?
The strongest choice is the program that meets your target employers' requirements and lets you build relevant experience at a manageable total cost. A recognizable degree name is less useful if the curriculum, placement arrangements, or schedule do not fit your intended role.
Before applying, use the following checks to avoid expensive mismatches:
- Collect several academic advisor job postings and identify the degree level, field, and experience they actually request.
- Verify institutional accreditation and, if you want a separately licensed profession, the applicable program and state requirements.
- Request the full curriculum, total tuition and required fees, expected completion schedule, and placement arrangements in writing.
- Ask how prior coursework will apply to this specific degree and whether assistantships or relevant campus jobs are available.
Do not choose solely on a ranking, low per-credit tuition, or an online label. If graduate cost is decisive, use comparisons of the cheapest online master's degree options as a starting point, then confirm each program's total price and fit for academic advising.
Other Things You Should Know About
There is no universal best major. Higher education or student affairs is a direct graduate option; education, psychology, and discipline-specific degrees can also fit, especially with student-services experience.
Yes, some employers hire bachelor's-level applicants. Others prefer a master's degree or relevant experience, so check postings for your target roles.
No. Advisors generally help students navigate academic choices and resources. Licensed counselors may provide services that require separate education and state credentials.
It may be if it meets employers' preferences and provides experience you cannot readily gain otherwise. Compare its full cost with job requirements, assistantship opportunities, and the option of entering student services before graduate school.
- College Navigator - National Center for Education Statistics https://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/
- Diploma Mills and Accreditation - U.S. Department of Education https://www.ed.gov/laws-and-policy/higher-education-laws-and-policy/college-accreditation/diploma-mills-and-accreditation
- School and Career Counselors and Advisors | bls.gov https://www.bls.gov/ooh/community-and-social-service/school-and-career-counselors.htm
- Academic Advising Core Competencies | wisc.edu https://oacs.wisc.edu/advising-core-competencies/
- How to Become an Academic Advisor | Saint Mary's University of Minnesota https://www.smumn.edu/career-path/academic-advisor/
- How to Become an Academic Advisor | Western Governors University https://www.wgu.edu/career-guide/education/academic-advisor-career.html
- How to Become an Academic Advisor | Northeastern University Graduate Programs https://graduate.northeastern.edu/knowledge-hub/how-to-become-an-academic-advisor/
- Professional Advisor Credentials, Career Ladders, and Salaries | ksu.edu https://nacada.ksu.edu/Resources/Clearinghouse/View-Articles/Professional-Advisor-Credentials-Career-Ladders-and-Salaries
- Careers in Advising | cornell.edu https://hecec.human.cornell.edu/2016/11/04/careers-in-advising/
- How To Become an Academic Advisor | indeed.com https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/career-development/how-to-become-an-academic-advisor
