Survey of more than 300 school counselors reveals increasingly heavy caseloads, rising mental health demands, and growing resource gaps – underscoring the need for better tools for support

AMERICAN FORK, Utah, March 18, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — YouScience^®, the award-winning college and career readiness platform powered by scientifically-backed aptitude data and industry certifications, has released the 2025 School Counselor Report, a new analysis based on survey data of more than 300 middle and high school counselors in both public and private schools. The findings reveal major challenges, including overwhelming caseloads, expanded mental health duties, and additional administrative burdens, all of which limit their ability to provide individualized support for students.

Due to time scarcity, 89% of middle school and 86% 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% expressed the desire for an aptitude assessment to provide essential personalized support.

Additional findings include:

• Heavy caseloads: Over 56% 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% of high school students feel unprepared to make college or career decisions.
• Mental health demands: 73% 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: 54% 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, YouScience suggests the following recommendations to districts: 

• Adopt digital career exploration platforms and aptitude assessment tools, such as YouScience’s scientifically-backed Aptitude & Career Discovery, to help counselors provide tailored support more efficiently at scale.
• Invest in automated scheduling systems and administrative support to free up counselors’ time for more student engagement.
• Increase access to mental health professionals and offer specialized training to better equip counselors in supporting students’ growing mental health needs.

“Having students take the YouScience aptitude assessment has been the best thing for career exploration in my 19 years of counseling,” said Rick Sannar, Counselor at Alpine School District, in Utah. “It not only helps students uncover careers they may have never considered, but it also gives them the confidence to pursue paths that align with their natural talents. The insights from the assessment have been a game-changer in guiding students toward fulfilling and successful futures.”

To access the full 2025 School Counselor Report and view additional findings, please visit the YouScience website.

About YouScience^®
YouScience^® is the award-winning college and career readiness platform powered by scientifically-backed aptitude data and industry certifications. Its end-to-end platform, YouScience^® Brightpath, connects education with career applications designed to help students unlock their potential for future pathways. YouScience leverages proven research, artificial intelligence, and industry input to help individuals identify their aptitudes, validate their skills and knowledge, and get matched with real-world educational and career pathways in high-demand occupations. YouScience is the preferred choice of individuals, parents, educators, and counselors to guide and support educational and career pathways, currently serving more than 11,600 educational institutions and millions of users nationwide.

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SOURCE YouScience