The demand for university counseling centers has been increasing recently, which could be due to factors related to increased rates of diagnosis of mental health conditions and reduced mental health stigma.

There is a high dropout rate for college students with psychiatric disabilities. These students are especially at risk for dropping out of students and are in need of extra support services to promote retention.

LeViness (2024) conducted a literature review of five studies to assess the association between university counseling centers and student retention. They found that university counseling centers retained a higher rate of students than a control group. This shows a high positive impact of university counseling centers on retention rates.