The Impact of High School Counselors’ Caseload on Students’ College-Going: A Nationally Representative Sample

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Abstract

The study’s research questions are how the average caseload of counselors at each school affects students’ likelihood of applying to and enrolling in college and the number of college applications. To achieve this, the study applies propensity score matching, logistic regression, and linear regression to analyze data from 13,575 students drawn from the HSLS:09 dataset. The models reveal that lower counselors’ caseload, specifically below 250, significantly increases the likelihood of students applying to college by 2.9%, students attending college by 3.2%, and an average of 0.784 more colleges they applied to. This research provides insights into the role of high school counselors in shaping students’ decisions and outcomes regarding college education.

Author

• Yue Di, Michigan State University