Growing challenges for school counselors impact student outcomes

Key points:

• Many school counselors feel underprepared to manage complex student mental health needs
• School counselors ID “critical shortfalls” in student mental health crisis
• Student mental health needs grow as challenges persist
• For more news on school counselors, visit eSN’s SEL & Well-Being hub

Middle and high school counselors juggle overwhelming caseloads, expanded mental health duties, and additional administrative burdens–all of which limit their ability to provide individualized support for students, according to the 2025 School Counselor Report from YouScience.

The new analysis is based on survey data of more than 300 middle and high school counselors in both public and private schools.

Due to time scarcity, 89 percent of middle school and 86 percent of high school counselors surveyed struggle to provide personalized student guidance but understand the importance of doing so. The growing need for more resources that can streamline and enhance their daily work has become even more evident. The report found that 91 percent expressed the desire for an aptitude assessment to provide essential personalized support.

Additional findings include:

• Heavy caseloads: Over 56 percent of counselors manage caseloads of 300-400 students–well above ASCA’s recommended ratio of 250:1. As a result, counselors must prioritize urgent issues over proactive career and academic planning, which is problematic as other data has shown that 75 percent of high school students feel unprepared to make college or career decisions.
• Mental health demands: Seventy-three percent share that mental health support is a major part of their job, but feel underprepared to handle the growing complexity of student mental health needs. This lack of support can contribute to decreased student engagement in school and diminished motivation for future planning.
• Administrative burdens: Fifty-four percent noted that compliance-related administrative tasks consume a significant portion of their workday, taking time away from direct student interaction, highlighting the demand for more efficient solutions to support student guidance.

“School counselors play a critical role in shaping students’ futures, but they’re being stretched too thin to have the impact they are positioned for,” said Edson Barton, Co-Founder and CEO of YouScience.

“By equipping counselors with the right technologies, we can help them provide more personalized guidance at scale, ensuring every student has the support they need to navigate their education and career path with confidence. When counselors have access to modern solutions, they can focus on what matters most: helping students discover their innate strengths (aptitudes) and build a future aligned with their skills and aspirations.”

To enhance counselor support and improve student outcomes, the report offers three recommendations to districts: 

1. Adopt digital career exploration platforms and aptitude assessment tools to help counselors provide tailored support more efficiently at scale.

2. Invest in automated scheduling systems and administrative support to free up counselors’ time for more student engagement.

3. Increase access to mental health professionals and offer specialized training to better equip counselors in supporting students’ growing mental health needs.

This press release originally appeared online.