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Illinois School Counselors
Every day, Illinois’ school counselors work to make a meaningful and lasting impact on the next generation of students across the state. According to the Illinois State Board of Education, “A school counselor’s job is to help students put all the pieces together.” These professionals provide services to students in three areas: academic, college/career, and personal/social.
Illinois’ school counselors support students by helping them understand their options, set goals, and make informed, educated decisions about their education and future. They also serve as trusted sources of mental health services, helping students address issues affecting their personal, academic, and social lives.
- 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 Illinois school counselors do?
School counselors once served primarily as vocational advisors. Today, however, their role includes the guidance and support of students in every aspect: academically, socially, and psychologically. Here are a few specific roles an Illinois school counselor can be expected to fulfill:
They evaluate students’ abilities and interests through aptitude assessments, interviews, and individual planning.
All students have their own set of unique skills and interests, and it’s the school counselor’s job to identify those strengths and help the student find the best course of action. Evaluations, assessments, and aptitude tests are part of the Illinois school counseling program.
They help students understand and overcome social or behavioral problems through classroom guidance lessons and counseling.
One of the tougher parts of school counseling is helping students overcome social or behavioral barriers. However, with solid curriculum and guidance lessons, school counselors are often able to inform students of potential social and behavioral pitfalls before they happen.
They work with students to develop skills, such as organizational and time management abilities and effective study habits.
College and career planning are important aspects of school counseling but so are enforcing strong study habits and organizational skills. Long before a student heads off to college or the workforce, they need to know how to manage their time and resources.
They provide support for others who influence student success, including parents, educators, and administrators.
There’s no doubt that today’s student is influenced by many different people. Their well-being, inside and outside the school walls, is crucial for academic and social success. School counselors often act as liaisons between students and parents, and students and school staff.
They report possible cases of neglect or abuse and refer students and parents to resources outside the school for additional support
In the unfortunate event of possible neglect or abuse, school counselors are required to report their suspicions and seek outside support. Iowa school guidance counselors work closely with school officials and community officials to ensure the safety and well-being of every student.
DePaul University Secures Funding to Increase the Number of School Counselors in Chicago Public Schools
2023 was a milestone year for counseling at DePaul University. It was then that the university was awarded a $4.2 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education to prepare students to become elementary school counselors within the Chicago Public Schools (CPS) system.
Thanks to these much-needed federal dollars, Depaul will be able to providing the funding for 96 students to earn the graduate education needed to secure positions in some of the highest need schools within the CPS.
These funds, which are offered as part of a unique program called STRIDE (School-Based Trainee Recruitment and Retention through Innovation and Diversity Enrichment), will be offered through 2028. During this time, DePaul’s graduate students in counseling will enjoy training and tuition support if they commit to working in a high-need school within the CPS. More specifically, STRIDE is focused on providing crucial school counseling services (which include evidence-based mental health services) to schools that teach low-income black and Latinx students.
This interdisciplinary grant will also allow the university to incorporate a program called Act & Adapt Intervention, an evidence-based program designed to help students better cope with mental health issues.
The Act & Adapt Intervention program will allow DePaul to translate research into action and produce school counselors who are well-prepared to handle the needs of children in high-need schools in the CPS. Graduate counseling students at DePaul will learn about this program and how to apply it in schools.
Other professionals throughout the CPS, including school counselors, social workers, and school psychologists, have been receiving training in Act & Adapt Intervention since 2017. It’s estimated that about 270 professionals in the CPS have already received this training.
This type of funding couldn’t come at a better time – rising numbers of students across the country now report mental health struggles. DePaul professor Antonio Polo completed a study in March 2023 which found that Latinx children in the CPS were nearly twice as likely than their peers to experience both anxiety and depression.
Polo and his team of graduate students regularly track progress among those using the Act & Adapt Intervention and provide feedback and reports that track outcomes. The results have shown that the majority of students who participate in the program experience significant improvement in their mental health and well-being.
CPS is the fourth largest school district in the U.S. About three quarters of all students within the system are from low socio-economic/low-income backgrounds.
DePaul students who are selected to participate in STRIDE will receive tuition reimbursement and a stipend while they complete their practicum and internship.
Why should someone consider becoming a school counselor in Illinois?
Job Market Trends
Illinois School Counselor Salary (median) 1
$61,210/year
Number of School Counselors Employed 1
12,790
Projected employment growth in Illinois 2
6.1% from 2022-2032
School counseling is an ever-evolving field, and the high demand for dedicated people in this profession remains strong. There are many reasons why you should consider becoming a school counselor in Illinois, but here are some of the main reasons:
- The median salary for a school counselor in Illinois is $61,210 per year.
- By helping students understand their academic/career options, school counselors play an integral role in their future success.
Contact schools offering school counseling or mental health counseling programs and learn how you can begin a career as an Illinois school counselor.
Whether you are from Chicago, Rockford, Aurora, Naperville, Peoria, Springfield or anywhere else across the state, you will 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.