School Counselor Roles & Ratios

School counselors design and deliver school counseling programs that improve student outcomes. They lead, advocate and collaborate to promote equity and access for each and every student by connecting their school counseling program to the school’s academic mission and school improvement plan. They uphold the ethical and professional standards of ASCA and promote the development of the school counseling program based on the following areas of the ASCA National Model®: Define, Deliver, Manage and Assess. 

Feel free to use any of the following resources supporting the roles of school counselors at back-to-school nights, school board presentations, etc.

School Counselor Roles

Student-to-School-Counselor Ratios

Although ASCA recommends a 250-to-1 ratio of students to school counselors, the national average is actually 376-to-1 for the 2023–2024 school year (the most recent year for which data is available). See how the individual states stack up:

Why does ASCA recommend a ratio of 250 students per school counselor?
Since 1965, ASCA has recommended a student-to-school counselor ratio of 250:1. Although this ratio may be optimal, grade level and socioeconomic factors require close consideration. According to data from the U.S. Department of Education National Center for Education Statistics, the 2023–2024 national student-to-school-counselor ratio was 376:1. National ratios are higher in elementary/middle schools and lower in high schools, based on estimates using the NCES data. Because not all states report counts for elementary/middle vs. secondary school counselors, it’s not possible to calculate exact ratios by grade level. However, calculating by only the states that report elementary/middle school counselors and secondary school counselors separately (35 states), we are able to calculate ranges of 178:1 to 326:1 for high school counselors and 581:1 to 702:1 for elementary/middle school counselors (National Center for Education Statistics, http://nces.ed.gov/ccd/elsi/)

Research dating to the 1950s indicates the school counseling role was much broader and much more clerical during that time. Analyzing the role of the school counselor, Hoyt (1955) determined that school counselors typically spent more than 55% of their time in counseling and group activities with students. The remaining 45% was spent working with teachers, conducting local research and performing clerical tasks. Based on his assessment, Hoyt concluded that school counselors should have no more than 400 pupils in their caseload. As the role of the school counselor became clarified further, ASCA adopted 250:1 as the optimal ratio, which reflects the goal that school counselors spend 80% of their time in direct and indirect student services.

Several studies have noted that smaller ratios support increases in standardized test performance (Parzych et al., 2019), attendance (Carey et al., 2012), GPA (Goodman-Scott et al., 2018) and graduation rates (Lapan & Gysbers, 2012), as well as decreased disciplinary infractions (Carrell & Carrell, 2006; Lapan et al., 2012). Additional studies have shown that lower ratios also increase the likelihood of students having conversations with school counselors regarding college-going and postsecondary plans (Bryan et al., 2009; Danos, 2017; Engberg & Gilbert, 2014; Hurwitz & Howell, 2013; Woods & Domina, 2014; Lapan et al. 2019). Further, in an ASCA-grant-funded meta-analysis of student-to-school-counselor ratio outcome studies, Kearney et al. (2021) found that a one standard deviation change in the ratio is likely to result in a 6% standard deviation in student outcomes, especially in terms of improving attendance, decreasing disciplinary infractions, and increasing high school graduation. 

How have the student-to-school-counselor ratios changed over time?
While the national student-to-school counselor ratio has decreased, on average, by 1% per academic school year since the 1987–1988 school year, the national ratio remains well above the ASCA recommended ratio of 250:1 at 376:1 (2023-24 data). For the 2023-2024 school year, only Hawaii (249:1), New Hampshire (191:1) and Vermont (171:1) reported ratios within the recommendation. One quarter (25%) of respondents to the ASCA State of the Profession 2020 survey reported their caseload to be 250 or few students, while similar portions of respondents reported 251–350 (26%) and 351–450 (24%) students per school counselor. Many students lack sufficient access to school counselors and other support staff. In fact, students of color and students from low-income families are often shortchanged, receiving unequal access to school counselors or attending a school with too few school counselors. Currently, about 17% of high schools — serving approximately 643,700 students (4% of all students) — do not have a school counselor (US Department of Education Civil Rights Data Collection).