How Much Does College Counseling Cost? Is It Worth the Price?
What is college counseling? How much does college counseling cost? These are important questions for parents of college-bound kids. As the college application process has gotten more complex and more competitive, the amount of support for college applicants has blossomed. There are books, YouTube channels, Facebook groups, businesses, and individuals all geared toward helping high school students navigate the college application process.
While the college application support out there can be very helpful and save you time and money, it can be difficult to know what type or level of support is right for your family and overwhelming to try to evaluate the different options. In this article, I’ll break down the types of college counseling available along with some cost benchmarks to help you consider which type of support might be right for you.
Types of college counseling services and average costs
The two main types of college counseling services are the services that are offered for free within high schools and services that are external to high schools and typically offered at a cost.
High school college counseling
Most US high schools offer some form of college counseling, but the quality of these services varies widely. Some high schools may have well-resourced college counseling departments in which each counselor is responsible for a relatively low number of students. In other schools, however, one college counselor may have four or five hundred students on their roster. They may also be responsible for guiding students towards other post-high school paths, such as employment or the military. In these cases, it can be quite challenging for students to access personalized and robust support.
Independent Educational Consultants (IECs)
As the name suggests, IECs work independently of any educational institution, meaning they don’t work for a particular high school or college. IECs may work for themselves or they may belong to a larger practice. Services, business models, and pricing can vary widely among IECs.
How much does college counseling cost with an IEC?
Some IECs charge hourly for their services or sell you a certain number of hours upfront. Other IECs may charge for a package that includes a set of pre-agreed-upon services, such as making a college list or helping a student brainstorm and edit a certain number of essays.
Among IECs who charge hourly, pricing can vary from around $100/hour all the way up to $2,000/hour. That being said, according to the College Planner Pro 2022 IEC pricing survey, the average hourly price for an IEC across the US was about $200 in 2022.
Similar to hourly pricing, package pricing varies widely and depends on the size of the package and how long the family is working with the IEC. Smaller packages may start around $2,000 and, at the very high end, may approach a hundred thousand dollars. But again, the average is much lower than that. The College Planner Pro 2022 Pricing survey puts the average package price at around $5,000.
Factors that affect college counseling fees
As you might imagine, there are many factors that affect the price of working with IEC.
Your geographic region. Where you live and where your IEC operates may affect pricing. For example, IECs living and working in the northeast tend to charge the most, while IECs living and working in the south tend to charge the least.
Years of experience. As with many things, IECs with more experience tend to charge more. In many cases, the expertise that an IEC with twenty years of experience can bring justifies the higher price tag.
Services offered. This is a big one. The services included in a counseling package can vary widely. In some cases, you may be hiring someone to go over your student’s application after it’s already completed and make sure that i’s are dotted and t’s are crossed. Or you may pay someone to sit down with you one time at the beginning of the process to make sure you’re pointed in the right direction. In either case, you can expect to pay less, because you’re not buying many services. On the other end of the spectrum, robust counseling packages may involve regular meetings between the counselor and the student for several years. The IEC may be advising the student about class choices and extracurriculars years before a student formally begins the college application process. More robust packages may also include information about the higher education system, help creating and researching a college list, exploring which major might be right for a student, and, of course, brainstorming and editing countless essays.
Is college counseling worth the price?
The answer to this one will be familiar to anyone who has spent time asking questions about the college application process: it depends!
The path to college is more straightforward for some students than for others. For students who have long known that they want to attend their local public college or university, the application process may be relatively straightforward. On top of that, students whose high schools offer a well-resourced college counseling department may not need to look for outside help.
That being said, there are a number of reasons that families seek out a little extra help with the college application process.
College counseling to achieve high aspirations
It has become increasingly difficult to earn a spot in one of the top fifty colleges/universities in the US. If your student is hoping to attend one of these institutions, hiring a professional early on can help your student understand how to maximize their high school years. When it comes time to put the actual applications together, IECs can help students articulate how their unique mix of experience, characteristics, values, and perspective are a good fit for a given school.
Financial considerations and professional college counseling
This is a big one, especially if yours is one of the many, many families that won’t qualify for much need-based financial aid but can’t afford sky-high college sticker prices. IECs can educate your family about the financial landscape of the higher education system. They can guide your school choices and help you understand which schools are likely to offer higher merit-based scholarships.
Parent-student harmony
The college application process is long and complex, and it is rare to find a high school student who is able to manage the entire process on their own. Parents are often required to step in and fill the gaps, making spreadsheets of deadlines and college data and reminding students again and again (and again!) to start, edit or finish up their college applications. Some parents shine in this role and really enjoy it. For other families, however, this is not a good position for parents to be in. Working with an IEC can help parents be involved in the fun parts and significant parts of the college process, while leaving the stress of the nitty-gritty to someone else.
Navigating learning differences
It is especially important for students with learning differences to understand what kind of support they need to succeed in college. They also must have a strong understanding of how to tell whether their desired schools are equipped to offer that particular support. An IEC can help students research prospective colleges and understand the difference between accessing services in high school and accessing services in college.
How much does college counseling cost: a summary
It is true that working with an IEC can be expensive. However, with the possible exception of buying a house, your child’s education is likely to be the biggest purchase your family ever makes. It is wise to consider talking to a professional to help guide you through this very big decision. When choosing an IEC, asking how much college counseling costs is a good place to start. It is also important to consider a counselor’s experience, whether they have a special area of expertise, whether their views on college are aligned with yours, and, of course, whether or not they are able to connect with your student.
Great College Advice: how much does college counseling cost?
Need more help on your college application? We have helped hundreds of kids just like you find the school of their dreams and stay sane while doing it!
But how much does it cost to work with us? As this article points out, it depends a lot on what services you really need, what sort of college or university you aspire to attend, and how long you plan to work with us.
We are very experienced in working with all sorts of students, and we enjoy the variety. Any student can benefit from our services, but we simply do not have a “one size fits all” solution to our college counseling practice.
So if you want to learn more about how college counseling might help you achieve your objectives–and to learn how much it costs–either give us a call or fill out this form to schedule a free consultation with us.
