To date, we’ve asked 48 current and past counseling psychology students about their happiness with their degree. Turns out, they rate it above average.

Different majors will offer different opportunities.

To help you reach the decision that is right for you, we asked students who have pursued a counseling psychology degree to respond to questions concerning five dimensions of the educational track they chose:

  • Course material: Were they interested in the material they learned?
  • Intellectual fulfillment: Did they find the coursework intellectually stimulating?
  • Job prospects: Did they leave the program with job opportunities?
  • Personality: Was the degree a good fit for their personality?
  • Overall fit: Were they happy with the program overall?

We examined their responses and combined the rankings to give us an average satisfaction score across all students. This doesn't necessarily reflect how satisfied you would be with a counseling psychology degree, but it’s a starting point to help you evaluate your options.

How satisfied are counseling psychology students compared to other degrees?

Overall, counseling psychology students rate their satisfaction with their degree a 4.1 out of 5. For context, counseling psychology students rate their happiness similarly to students in Security and Protective Services, Mathematics and Statistics and Philosophy and Religious Studies.

Here are other degrees that have a similar satisfaction rating to counseling psychology

DegreeAvg Grad SalarySatisfaction
History$67,486
Criminal Justice and Related Studies$56,234
Mathematics and Statistics$82,139
Counseling Psychology$46,557
Security and Protective Services$68,341
Philosophy and Religious Studies$66,978

Let's break that down further.

Are counseling psychology students satisfied with what they’re learning?

We asked students about their satisfaction with their course material and overall intellectual fulfillment. Here’s what they said:

We asked graduates how interesting they found the course material to be. Their response was:
4.3 out of 5 stars
49 ratings
5 stars
55%
4 stars
24%
3 stars
10%
2 stars
4%
1 stars
2%
We asked graduates how intellectually fulfilling they found the degree. Their response was:
4.2 out of 5 stars
49 ratings
5 stars
51%
4 stars
33%
3 stars
6%
2 stars
4%
1 stars
4%

These ratings are meant to give you an indication about what other people enrolled in counseling psychology experienced. While their input is useful, keep in mind that different people have had vastly different experiences, all of which were impacted by their personal motivations, professors, and specific curriculum. Always keep your own goals at the center of your decision-making process when it comes to something as significant as your education.

Did counseling psychology graduates leave school with good job prospects?

Of course, working towards a degree is also about pursuing your desired career. Here’s what counseling psychology grads had to say about their job prospects:

We asked graduates how satisfied they were with their job prospects. Their response was:
3.6 out of 5 stars
47 ratings
5 stars
32%
4 stars
26%
3 stars
19%
2 stars
11%
1 stars
9%

We can see there’s a cluster of positive responses, which might indicate a strong or growing job market.

Were counseling psychology students happy with their degree overall?

This rating takes into account all factors: how demanding the program is, whether graduates felt it was worthwhile, and how fulfilling they found their educational experience.

We asked graduates how satisfied they were with their degree as a whole. Their response was:
4.1 out of 5 stars
48 ratings
5 stars
42%
4 stars
35%
3 stars
13%
2 stars
4%
1 stars
4%

As you consider this information and input from others, remember above all that your choice should be based on your interests, goals, passions, and abilities. Consider the future and give yourself time. If you’re feeling unsure, click here to take our career assessment and see what path could be right for you.

Career Paths

Learn about your career prospects after graduation.

Read about Career Paths