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Michigan School Counselors
“If you seek a pleasant peninsula, look around you.”
This state motto may describe the beautiful landscape of Michigan, but it can also describe the positive outlook of the Michigan educational system and school counseling services.
School counselors provide students with academic, career, and college advice, as well as personal and social guidance. This is accomplished through group counseling, individual counseling, classroom instruction, and community involvement.
Michigan school counselors are dedicated listeners, able to relate to students of different and backgrounds. They are both compassionate and professional in the services they provide. Ultimately, the state of Michigan boasts not only a beautiful landscape, but also some of America’s most dedicated educators and school counselors in the country.
- 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 Michigan school counselors do?
School counselors play an important role in the lives of students, as their primary objective is to help them make positive decisions and succeed in academic and personal development.
Here are a few key things Michigan school counselors do:
They work closely with students, teachers, and school administrators towards common goals.
It takes a team of people to help guide the next generation into a well-balanced life of academic and social success. Michigan school counselors are team players! As they work closely with school officials, families, and educators, school counselors act as liaisons for students. They work together towards the common goals of educational and social development.
They work in office and classroom settings to guide and instruct.
Not only do Michigan school counselors work with students to develop individualized education/career plans, they also incorporate classroom sessions to help guide and instruct students in college/career planning, violence prevention, and social/behavioral skills.
They guide troubled students and work with special-needs students.
Using up-to-date assessments and resources, Michigan school counselors are trained to compassionately and professionally guide students into effective conflict resolutions. They are also trained to work with special-needs students and help integrate every student into the traditional classroom setting.
They support students in their academic lives, helping them develop better study habits and cultivate a love for learning.
School counseling jobs in Michigan might include helping students write resumes, apply for jobs, and learn interviewing skills. This is part of the whole package of helping students towards academic achievement. Ultimately, they strive to instill a love for learning and a desire for higher education leading to a successful and fulfilling career.
Michigan’s School Counselor Shortage Crisis: What’s Wrong and What’s Being Done
Michigan is in a state of emergency when it comes to the availability of school counseling services.
According to a report by the American School Counselor Association, Michigan has garnered the dubious title of having the second-highest ratio of student to school counselors: 598:1. Arizona is first in the nation, with a 667:1 student-to-counselor ratio.
The national average is 385:1, and the American School Counselor Association recommends a ratio of 250:1. Higher ratios equal higher caseloads for school counselors and more difficulty for these professionals to provide adequate services and resources for students. According to the American School Counselor Association, higher ratios have a direct impact on everything from student attendance to GPA to graduation rates.
According to Terri Tchorzynski, president of the Michigan School Counselor Association, the focus in now on recruiting more school counselors. Today’s school counselors have lofty caseloads that require them to address not just academic and career preparation, but mental health, as well.
In Michigan, a focus on mental health has become paramount, as suicide remains the third leading cause of deaths in teens between 10-14 years old and the second leading cause of death in teens between 15-19 years old, according to the Centers for Disease Control.
The Michigan Department of Education has acknowledged the issue and is now taking concrete steps to get more school counselors into schools. In recent years, the state has invested some $50 million for mentoring and induction programs. They’ve also encouraged teachers to obtain school counselor endorsements by covering tuition costs.
Governor Gretchen Whitmer has also expanded scholarships to help cover the cost of college for many students. The state’s Michigan Reconnect program allows most residents to attend community college for free. And the Michigan Achievement Scholarship provides annual scholarships of up to $5,500.
And in some school districts, AmeriCorps has begun placing recent college grads as college and career advisors in Michigan high schools to help with the shortage of school counselors. About 101 of these advisors have been placed largely in high schools in rural and low-income districts. They fill an important role that many school counselors find hard to cover due to increasing workloads.
It’s particularly important to provide these services for students in Michigan, which falls below the national average for college education attainment. Just 32 percent of adults in the state have a bachelor’s degree or higher, which ranks them 34th in the nation.
Why should someone consider becoming a school counselor in Michigan?
Job Market Trends
Michigan School Counselor Salary (median) 1
$63,240/year
Number of School Counselors Employed 1
7,950
Projected employment growth in Michigan 2
4.7% from 2022-2032
Strong school counselors help students identify their interests and natural abilities to set achievable goals for the future. They work closely with students to create actionable plans that allow them to reach their goals.
Here are a few reasons someone should consider becoming a school counselor in the state of Michigan:
- Over 7,000 educational, guidance, school, and vocational counselors work in Michigan.
- School counselors encourage students to be motivated learners and facilitate their exploration of careers.
- Ample vacation time is one of the main benefits of working as a school guidance counselor. Working for nine months out of the year with summers off is a huge benefit. (Some counselors may choose to work during the summer if their services are required or they wish to earn additional income.)
Michigan school guidance counselors have the opportunity to focus most of their energies on influencing and counseling students so they can achieve their fullest educational potentials. With a genuine desire to help students succeed, school counselors in Michigan are dedicated to enhancing America’s school counseling services and seek ways to promote healthy, well-rounded students across their great state and beyond.
Learn more about Michigan school counseling and find out if this might be the career for you.
Contact schools offering school counseling or mental health counseling programs and learn how you can begin a career as a Michigan School Counselor.
Whether you are from Detroit, Grand Rapids, Warren, Flint, Lansing, Ann Arbor, 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.