30 States and the District of Columbia mandate the provision of guidance and counseling services in the public elementary schools and secondary schools. Click here to see the mandates for each state.

Since 2005, eight states have revised existing laws or regulations regarding the mandating of school counseling programs in schools.

• California (School Counselors recommended in schools grades 7-12, but mandated if they want grant from state's school counseling fund)
•  Illinois, (no longer mandates school counseling programs in K-12 schools, although still recommends them, and mandates that students have access to student services when needed)
•  Iowa, (now mandates school counseling programs at all grade levels, K-12)
•  New Jersey, (now mandates school counseling programs at all grade levels, K-12)
• New York, (no longer mandates school counseling programs in K-12 schools)
• Texas, (no longer mandates school counseling programs in K-12 programs, although still recommends them)
•  Washington, (now mandates school counseling programs in grades 9-12) 
•  Wyoming, (now mandates school counseling programs at all grade levels, K-12, although doesn’t mandate professional school counselors implement these programs)

 Since 2005, eight states and the District of Columbia have revised, created or eliminated existing laws or regulations regarding specific school counselor to student ratios

•  District of Columbia, (now requires at least 1 school counselor in each school, K-12; there was no ratio mandate in 2005) 
• Georgia, (now requires middle school counselors be at a ratio of 675 to 1; old ratio in middle schools was 450 to 1)
• Iowa, (now requires that school districts have to be working towards a 350 to 1 school counselor ratio; there was no ratio mandate in 2005)
• Maine, (now requires a 350 to 1 ratio at the K-8 level, and 250 to 1 ratio at the 9-12 level; old mandate only required 1 school counselor at each school)
• Minnesota, (Requires a 350 to 1 ratio at the K-8 level, and 250 to 1 ratio at the 9-12 level in every school by the year 2019-2020; there was no mandate in 2005)
• Nebraska (No longer requires a specific school counseling ratio the K-5 level, ratio at the 6-12 level is 450 to 1; old ratio was 400  to in grades K-12)
•  North Dakota, (No longer requires a specific ratio at grades K-12, however does require that at least one school counselor be  employed at each school; old mandate was 450 to 1 at grades 9-12 and 500 to 1 at grades K-8)
•  Virginia, (Now requires a ratio at  500 to 1 at the elementary school, 400 to 1 at the middle school level, and 350 to 1 at the high school ratio; old ratio was 500 to 1 at K-12 levels)
•  West Virginia, (No longer requires a specific school counselor ratio for any level; old mandate was 400 to 1 at grades 9-12, 450 to 1 at grades 6-8 and 500 to 1 at grades K-5)

Most state counseling mandates are funded through a combination of local tax levy funds or local funds. Fifteen (15) states provide 100 percent of funding to support mandated counseling services.  Five (5) states provide some funding to support mandated counseling services

• In 2005, only twelve (12) provided 100 percent funding to support mandated counseling services

Seventeen states prescribe specific counselor-student ratios in their mandates for secondary schools.

• Ratios range from 1 counselor for every 250 students to 1 counselor for every 800 students.
• This is a decrease from eighteen (18) states with specific student to counselor ratios 2005

Three states  and the District of Columbia prescribe a ratio per school instead of per student

•  Ratios range from 1/2 school counselor per school to 1 full-time school  counselor per school
•  This is an increase from one (1) mandated counselor to school ratios in  2005

States with school to counselor ratios:
•  District of Columbia, (1 school counselor of every school in grades K-12)
•  Mississippi, (1/2 school counselor for every school in grades 9-12)
•  North Dakota, (1 school counselor of every school in grades K-12)
•  Washington, (1 school counselor for every school in grades 9-12)

Sixty Seven percent of states mandate school counseling programs for students

•  Twenty eight states and the District of Columbia mandate the provision of school counseling programs at all grade levels
•  One state, California, mandate services only for grades 7-12.
•  Four states, Louisiana, Mississippi, Utah, and Washington mandates services only for grades 9-12.