Also called: Private college counselor, Independent educational consultant (IEC)
Self-employed advisor whom families hire to guide students through choosing and applying to colleges.
College consultants meet students for years, helping pick classes, brainstorm essays, build college lists, and prepare for interviews. Many run their own businesses from home offices. Top consultants in big cities charge thousands per student.
Estimate; self-employment income varies enormously.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Bachelor's degree (4-year), about 4 years after high school. Bachelor's (master's in counseling common); experience in admissions or school counseling; certificate programs exist.
Ways in: 4-year college, Certification, Self-taught. Training cost: $15k – $60k.
Majors to look at: Counseling, English, Education.
Growing faster than average. Growing private industry.
Medium risk for 10 years. AI writes college lists and essay feedback for free, squeezing budget clients; wealthy families still pay for a trusted advisor.
Classes: AP English Language, Business, Psychology.
Official data: O*NET occupation 21-1012.
Career Universe is an early version. Pay, training and AI-risk figures are estimates to start your own research, not verified facts. The research was written with AI research assistants, checked by validation scripts and spot-checked by hand. Check anything important with schools, employers and official sources. How the numbers work.