Indiana Annual School Counselor Survey
Each year, the Indiana School Counselor Survey gathers critical insights from hundreds of school counselors across the state. This data informs advocacy efforts that support student mental health, postsecondary readiness, and effective school counseling programs.
2025-26 Report
Inspire Success published the 2025-26 Annual Indiana School Counselor Survey on November 20, 2025. The report offers valuable insights on how school counselors are spending their time and what issues they face.
Inspire Success — with support from the Indiana School Counselor Association (INSCA) and the Indiana Association for College Admission Counseling (INACAC) — invites all Indiana School Counselors to complete the annual Indiana Annual School Counselor Survey.
This survey is designed to gather the latest details on Indiana school counselor demographic data, roles and responsibilities, most significant day-to-day challenges, professional development needs, and other areas. Without promoting any particular political or ideological viewpoint, we ask school counselors how they use evidence-based practices to support student mental health and well-being..
Read the survey reports, learn about participating in the survey, and consider becoming a sponsor.
Participate
Because YOUR Voice Matters!
The 2026-27 survey will open in September, 2026. Check back here for the link or watch for announcements on CounselorTalk!
Thank You, Indiana School Counselors!
The 2025–2026 Indiana Annual School Counselor Survey is now closed.
Inspire Success, in collaboration with the Indiana School Counselor Association (INSCA) and the Indiana Association for College Admission Counseling (INACAC), extends our sincere appreciation to every counselor who took time to share their experiences and insights. Your voice helps us better understand your needs and advocate for the essential work school counselors do each day.
As a thank you for participating, all who opted in were entered into a prize drawing:
- 4 winners will receive a $50 Amazon gift card (courtesy of Inspire Success)
- 2 winners will receive a one-year INSCA membership
Prize winners will be contacted by email and announced in an upcoming edition of our News for School Counselors CounselorTalk newsletter.
Your input makes a difference. Together we are strengthening the support and recognition Indiana school counselors deserve.
Survey Reports
2025-26
The 2025-26 Indiana School Counselor Survey reveals that a majority of Indiana school counselors believe the social-emotional needs of their students are higher this year than last year, according to results of a recent poll of Indiana school counselors. More than 84% of the 510 elementary, middle, and high school counselors responding to this year’s annual survey said they need more resources and training to help students deal with trauma and mental health related issues.
At the same time, Indiana’s K-12 school counselors report, on average, spending just 42% of their time in direct services to students, 26% in indirect services, 17% of their time devoted to program management, and 15% to non-counseling tasks.
The average student caseload of Indiana’s K-12 school counselors rose for the second year in a row to 357 students for each school counselor. The recommended
student to counselor ratio is 250 students or fewer per school counselor.
For a closer look at these findings and more, read the full report.
2024-25
The 2024-25 Indiana School Counselor Survey provides a detailed view into the pressing issues, successes, and ongoing challenges facing school counselors across the state. Here are some key insights from this year’s findings:
- Rising Social-Emotional Needs: Many school counselors report an increase in students’ social-emotional needs, attributing much of this to the lingering effects of the COVID pandemic and a reduction in time spent directly supporting students.
- Time Constraints with Students: Time spent with students remains a top concern.
- Higher Caseloads: For the first time in three years, the average student-to-counselor ratio has risen.
- Non-Counseling Duties: Counselors report spending around 15% of their time on tasks unrelated to counseling, such as test monitoring and attendance tracking.
- Growth in Comprehensive Counseling Programs: The percentage of schools with comprehensive counseling programs increased by 10% over last year.
For a closer look at these findings and more, read the full report.
2023-24
The mental health needs of Indiana’s elementary, middle, and high school students continue to be extremely high according to the latest results from the annual Indiana School Counselor Survey.
According to the 270+ Indiana K-12 school counselors who responded to the 2023-24 school year survey, the amount of time spent directly or indirectly with students has increased marginally this year compared to previous years, even though almost a third of counselors’ time is spent handling program management and “non-counseling” tasks such as test proctoring.
2022-23
A total of 460 Indiana school counselors, the highest number in three years, responded to this year’s annual school counselor survey commissioned by the Indiana Department of Education.
The 2022-23 results reveal some dramatic shifts in counselors’ use of time, perceptions of support, and student to counselor ratios. It also reveals school counselors’ challenges with addressing high levels of student anxiety and stress.
Read the full report for more details.
Sponsors
Sponsors and donors make the Annual School Counselor Survey possible.
Your contribution will:
- Encourage greater participation through incentive items, ensuring we collect the most representative data possible
- Demonstrate your organization’s commitment to education, mental health, and student success
- Increase your visibility with hundreds of school counselors and education leaders across Indiana
If you would like to pitch in to support this work, click the button above and complete the form.
In Collaboration With:
