Iowa Links
Iowa School Counselors
“Our liberties we prize and our rights we will maintain.” There’s no guesswork when it comes to Iowa’s stance on freedom and human rights, which extends to delivering the highest standards of education for all students. School counselors support these goals, serving as valuable assets of Iowa’s educational system.
Driven to implement effective curricula and instructional programs and provide comprehensive support services targeted at student achievement, Iowa school counselors help students flourish in all aspects of their 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 Iowa’s school counselors do?
School counselors are there to ensure that students have the support they need to successfully navigate their school years.
Here are a few key things Iowa’s school counselors do:
They help students establish educational and career goals to develop future plans.
While this role is naturally expected of school counselors across the nation, Iowa’s school counselors are leaders in establishing academic and career goals for every student. With comprehensive programs that address higher education, workforce/career options, and student life goals, counselors guide students towards the very best path for their individual goals.
They support student achievement through comprehensive school curriculum to which all students have equitable access.
Iowa school counselors help students determine their future school/career path. Data-driven courses help school counselors determine what their students need most.
They research and identify resources and technologies to support teaching and learning.
Always looking for new and innovative solutions, Iowa school counselors spend time researching and identifying resources to support their statewide initiatives. Working closely with school administration, school counselors help determine which resources will be used in schools across the state.
They establish, maintain, and enhance school counseling programs, including professional development, consultation, collaboration, and operations.
Collaboration is fundamental for the Iowa school counselor. As they establish relationships with other professionals, they are then able to enhance current counseling programs and develop new operations to benefit every student. School counselors are trained to network with other educators, state officials, and community leaders in order to develop the most effective counseling plans for their schools.
How the Des Moines Public School System Is Delivering Mental Health Services for Students Beyond the Classroom
The provision of mental health services for student-aged children has been garnering more attention in recent years, particularly as increasing numbers of children now report feelings of anxiety and depression. Today’s school counselors are as concerned about addressing the mental health needs of their students as they are about addressing their academic needs.
And in many school districts across the state, mental health services have expanded to provide students with help beyond the classroom, too. In 2024, UnitedHealthcare pledged $1.5 million to offer telehealth counseling services to children across the state.
The funding has allowed families to access telehealth counseling services at no charge through Hazel Health. Some 100,000 K-12 students in 16 Iowa school districts now have access to telehealth services. Nationwide, Hazel Health provides student-based telehealth services for about 4.5 million students.
Hazel Health is staffed with K-12 licensed therapists who are trained to provide services through evidence-based strategies and interactive videos. The therapists here are also trained to transition students to local, long-term mental health support, if needed.
Just some of the issues addressed using Hazel Health’s one-on-one telehealth services include anxiety, depression, family issues, academic stress, bullying, loneliness, anger management, self-esteem, sleep problems, grief/loss, and self-harm.
The Hazel Health program eliminates long waiting times or doctor referrals. And it’s effective – 90 percent of all students report improvement after six sessions.
Why should someone consider becoming a school counselor in Iowa?
Job Market Trends
Iowa School Counselor Salary (median) 1
$55,910/year
Number of School Counselors Employed 1
3,580
Projected employment growth in Iowa 2
12.1% from 2022-2032
School counselors in Iowa have full support of their state government, as each school district works toward the goal of having one qualified professional school counselor for every 350 students. This falls in line with national averages and allows school counselors to best implement their programs without being overwhelmed. With this in mind, here are a few more reasons why you should consider becoming a school counselor in Iowa:
- The median salary for a school counselor in Iowa is $55,910 per year.
- There is a great need for skilled professionals to inform the next generation about serious issues such as violence prevention, bullying prevention, and school safety.
- With the ever-growing need for student support, not only academically but also socially/behaviorally, school guidance counseling is greatly needed in Iowa and beyond.
As school counselors in Iowa strive to uphold their state motto for freedom and rights, there is no doubt they are prized assets to the educational system. School counselors everywhere should be valued and supported as professionals who invest their heart and soul into the next generation.
Contact schools offering school counseling or mental health counseling programs and learn how you can begin a career as an Iowa school counselor.
Whether you are from Des Moines, Cedar Rapids, Davenport, Sioux City, Dubuque or anywhere else across the state, you will find school counseling 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.