Welcome to CCMH

The Center for Collegiate Mental Health (CCMH) at Penn State is national research center and international practice-research network of over 800 colleges and universities. CCMH's mission is to bridge the gap between science and practice in college counseling centers.

CCMH collects and analyzes de-identified data as part of routine practice when students seek mental health treatment at colleges and universities. The information is used, in turn, to benefit college counseling centers, administrators, researchers, the public, and most importantly the students receiving services.

College Counseling Centers are invited to join CCMH to begin using the CCAPS and other instruments offered and supported by CCMH.

A Comparison of College Counseling Center Characteristics at Two-Year/Community Colleges Versus Four-Year Institutions

College counseling centers play a critical role in supporting students’ mental health, academic success, and persistence, and research shows they are effective in addressing a wide range of concerns. However, relatively little research has compared services across institution types, particularly between two-year/community colleges and four-year institutions, despite community colleges serving about 40% of U.S. undergraduates and often facing greater resource limitations. Existing studies indicate that while students at both institution types experience significant mental health challenges, community college students are more likely to face financial stress and reduced access to care, placing added strain on already limited counseling resources. To better understand these differences, this study analyzed data from 739 counseling centers using Center for Collegiate Mental Health (CCMH) annual renewal data from the 2024–2025 academic year, comparing two-year/community colleges and four-year institutions across areas such as professional affiliations, vendor contracts, policies and practices, and service utilization and clinician caseloads.