More than 1:3 of first year college students worldwide report symptoms consistent with a diagnosable mental health disorder, according to the APA.

In a survey of 274 institutions, 88% of Counseling Center Directors reported an increase in severe psychological problems over the past 5 years including self-injury incidents, eating disorders, substance abuse, and trauma resulting from sexual assault.

(ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)

The #RealCollege survey (2019, 40,000 CCC student respondents) yielded the following data:

• 60% reported being housing insecure in the previous year
• 70% of students reported they were either housing or food insecure
• Over 40% reported skipping an entire day of meals due to food insecurity

(lafoodbank.org)

What today’s college students really look like:

• 58% of students work while attending college
• 41% are older than age 25
• 42% of independent college students live at or below the federal poverty level
• 26% of today’s students are parents
• 34% of undergrads are first generation

(aacu.org/aacu-news/newsletter/2018)

How many college students have a disability?

• Roughly 20% of undergrads in 2016

• 26% of undergrads who were veterans reported having a disability, compared to 19% who were not veterans.

• The percentage of undergrads having a disability was higher among those age 30 and over. 

(US Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 2019)

• According to a report published by the Jewish Coalition Against Domestic Abuse, college-age women (18-24) are at the highest risk of sexual violence.

• Approximately 1:6 women and 4% of men experience some form of sexual assault while in college, with the risk of assault being highest during their first few months on campus.

• The rate of victimization is even higher among transgender and non-binary college students with 21% being sexually assaulted.

(https://www.bjs.gov/content/pub/pdf/ccsvsftr.pdf)