Maine Links
Maine School Counselors
School counselors in Maine are valuable members of the educational leadership team, working alongside educators and administrators to ensure student academic and social achievement. They are fierce advocates for all students and regularly collaborate with parents and staff.
Maine’s school counselors work tirelessly to address the needs of all students and provide a safe and welcoming learning environment. They promote equity and equal access to education and are committed to academic excellence and student advocacy.
- Top Picks
Featured Universities with School Counseling Programs
#1
Walden University
MS in School Counseling - General Program. Click here to contact Walden University and request information about their programs.
#2
Grand Canyon University
M. Ed in School Counseling (leads to initial Licensure) Click here to contact Grand Canyon University and request information about their programs.
#3
New York University (NYU)
NYU Steinhardt's accredited master of arts program in Counseling and Guidance: School and Bilingual School Counseling. Through this online program, you will gain the skills you need to become a professional Pre-K-12 school counselor, working with children and families in your community to foster academic achievement and success. Click here to contact New York University and request information about their programs.
#4
University of Denver
Earn a Master's degree in School Counseling online from the University of Denver. Learn from doctoral-level faculty in live classes and gain experience through mock counseling and in-field training. No GRE required. Click here to contact University of Denver and request information about their programs.
What do Maine school counselors do?
Maine school counselors promote professionalism and ethical practices for the implementation of comprehensive school counseling programs.
Here are a few key things Maine school counselors do as part of their profession:
They support individual student academic planning and goal setting.
School counselors in Maine offer student support in academic/career planning. They oversee regular assessments and counseling sessions to implement the most effective plans moving forward. Students in Maine receive individualized planning for graduation and beyond. No matter a student’s strengths or future goals, they can count on receiving full support from school guidance counselors.
They deliver classroom lessons aligned with state and national standards.
Not only do Maine’s school counselors guide students academically, they teach fundamental classes that promote higher learning and success. Counselors provide classroom sessions for college/career readiness, violence prevention, bullying prevention, and more that align with state and national standards.
They provide short-term counseling and make referrals for long-term support for students.
No student is left without proper school guidance in Maine. Leading with compassion and professionalism, school counselors are trained to provide short-term counseling and make referrals for long-term support, when needed. Every student has access to a qualified school counselor who will listen with care and compassion and guide with professionalism.
They analyze data to identify student issues, needs, and challenges.
Using data-driven results, Maine school counselors identify student issues and develop counseling programs that address specific needs and challenges. Working closely with parents, educators, and administrators, school counselors ensure systems are in place to effectively handle issues that may arise.
How Increased Federal Funding Has Brought Mental Health Services to the Forefront in Maine Schools
According to a 2023 Maine Integrated Health Survey, nearly one in every five high school students in Maine reported suicidal ideations in the past year.
It’s an epidemic of massive proportions, but one that the State of Maine is ready to tackle head on, thanks to federal support. In 2023, the Maine Department of Education received $9 million from the federal Bipartisan Safer Communities Act to bring better and more comprehensive mental health services to students in the state’s schools.
Since then, mental health professionals have begun settling into nine selected school districts. While the funding has allowed some of the nine districts to have a mental health professional (school counselor, school social worker) in all schools, some districts—largely rural—have struggled to fill these positions.
The federal funding couldn’t come at a better time, as many schools throughout the country continue to witness an increasing number of students in need of mental health services. In school districts like Lewiston Public Schools, the federal funds have helped bring in general education social workers and school counselors – two areas they report major shortages in.
Funding ranges from $63,000 to nearly $249,000 for high-need districts. Districts identified as “high need” are those with low student-to-mental health provider ratios when compared to the state and the rest of the nation.
For example, Regional School Unit (RSU) 54, which includes rural communities within Somerset County, have experienced crucial shortages in mental healthcare services. Many families in this remote area of Maine report long waiting times to be seen by mental health practices, and some practices are at capacity and not accepting new patients.
According to the Maine Department of Education, the funding has been near equally split between bringing in new professionals and retaining those they already have. For example, the Department is focusing on providing professional development opportunities for current school counselors, along with scholarships for graduate counseling students in University of Maine schools.
According to the National Alliance for Mental Illness in Maine, providing students with school-based mental health services results in improved academic achievement, social-emotional growth, and overall well-being.
Why should someone consider becoming a school counselor in Maine?
Job Market Trends
Maine School Counselor Salary (median) 1
$59,160/year
Number of School Counselors Employed 1
1,610
Projected employment growth in Maine 2
1.8% from 2022-2032
Not only do school counselors provide support for students to become lifelong learners and critical thinkers, they address students’ needs across all academic, social, and career domains.
Here are a few more reasons why school counseling is so important, and why you should consider becoming a school counselor in Maine:
- School counselors are strong allies for students. They are bridge-builders and advocates for every child.
- Maine has a significant amount of room to spread funding around to the most necessary places in public education.
Ultimately, Maine’s school counselors serve a vital role in maximizing student potential through academic/career and social/behavioral achievement. These leaders are recognized as valuable members of the educational system and their community at large. They work tirelessly for the success of every student through high school and beyond.
Contact schools offering school counseling or mental health counseling programs and learn how you can begin a career as a school counselor.
Whether you are from Portland, Lewiston, Bangor, Auburn, Augusta, or anywhere else across the state, you’re sure to find school counseling to be a highly rewarding and respected career.
1.) May 2024 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics job market and salary figures for Educational, Guidance and Career Counselors and Advisors represents state data not school-specific information. Conditions in your area may vary. Data accessed May 2025.
2.) School Counselor projections data retrieved from Projections Central, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor. Data accessed May 2025.