College Student Statistics: Mental Health and Loans (2023)

For many of us, the time we spend as students is one of the best years of our lives. Not only was it a time of self-discovery, learning who you are and who you want to be, but you also made valuable new friends. You even have a diploma that will help you get a good job.

If you want more information about the state of higher education in a quick and easy-to-understand format, this list of amazing student statistics is what you need. So read on and enjoy!

General statistics on university students.

1. There are approximately 20 million college students in the United States.

Over the years, we have seen a steady growth in the number of college students in the United States. How many college students are there in the United States right now?

According to the information, there were 19.9 million in the fall semester of 2019.

California has the most college students in the US (2,714,051), while Alaska has the fewest college students (26,905).

2. 34% of US citizens have a college degree.

America seems to be getting more educated every year. More and more high school students are choosing to enroll in college and earn at least a bachelor's degree.

And what percentage of Americans go to college and graduate? The data suggests that 34% of them do.

3. Between 2000 and 2018, college enrollment for 18-24 year olds increased by 6%.

Universities attract more and more students over the years. College enrollment statistics indicate that 6% more students ages 18-24 are entering college.

Shockingly fewer of them are enrolling in 2-year programs than ever before.

4. 67% of high school seniors enrolled in college in 2017.

What percentage of high school seniors go to college? It turns out that most of them get a foot in the academic door.

About 67% of them were already enrolled in 2017. That was about 1.9 million students, compared to the total of 2.9 million high school graduates.

5. Freshmen who participate in extracurricular activities have a 17.5% higher GPA.

There is growing evidence that extracurricular activities go a long way in improving students' GPAs.

Statistics for college students participating in extracurricular activities strongly correlate with a GPA that is 17.5% above the norm for freshmen.

6. In 2020, the University of Phoenix had 212,044 enrollments.

College enrollment statistics by college show that the University of Phoenix had the most enrollments of any college in 2020.

It admitted 212,044 students, almost twice as many as the runner-up (Western Governors University, 121,437 enrollments).

More specifically, UoP's online campus has seen the most enrollments according to college student statistics, which makes sense given the coronavirus pandemic.

7. 79% of students said they would not attend a party when colleges reopened in fall 2020.

The COVID-19 outbreak has made social distancing a primary tool for avoiding infection. A lot of college students understand that, judging by the college party statistics.

Nearly four-fifths of students would stay away from partying after colleges reopened in fall 2020.

8. Total enrollment is expected to decrease by 4.4% in 2020.

Basically, the coronavirus outbreak has affected all facets of society, and the university is no exception. Overall, admissions are expected to drop about 4.4% in 2020, according to state-by-state college enrollment statistics.

9. There were 1,095,299 international students in the US in the 2018/2019 academic year.

In 2019, the number of international students in the United States was at an all-time high.

According to US international student statistics, the country has accepted around 1,100,000 international students.

That's great news, as they contribute quite a bit to the economy: they generated $44.7 billion in 2018.

10. 43% of students believe that digital learning technologies are useful for their homework.

Statistics on eLearningshow that 43% of university students found eLearning very useful for their studies, especially for completing their homework. Additionally, 81% of students agreed that their grades improved significantly with the help of eLearning.

Student demographics

11. 56% of undergraduate students were first-generation students in the 2015-2016 academic year.

"First-generation students" refer to students whose parents never went to college. These students often come from poor families and are mostly from ethnic minorities.

Fortunately, quite a few of them complete their studies, as the statistics of first-generation students show us.

12. The average student is between 18 and 24 years old.

It's not a big surprise to learn that the average student is quite young. Not surprisingly, since many high school seniors go directly into higher education, the average age of college students is between 18 and 24 years old.

13. The average graduate student is 33 years old.

While the average student is quite young, your typical graduate will be noticeably older. The average age of college graduates is 33 years. Interestingly, this average has remained fairly constant over the years, as was the case in the 1990s.

14. From 2000 to 2018, enrollment rates for Hispanics ages 18-24 increased from 22% to 36%.

If we look at college enrollment by race, we can see that Hispanic students are entering college at an increasing rate.

If we compare the rates from 2000 and 2018, we see a fairly large increase in the number of Hispanic students enrolled of about 14%.

15. The number of undergraduate college students from poor families increased from 12% in 1996 to 20% in 2016.

Impoverished families seem to be doing better and better in terms of college tuition. The proof is in the very promising college statistics for low-income students.

These statistics show that in 2016, 20% of students came from poor families, compared to just 12% in 1996.

16. More than 100 campuses have dedicated offices or resource centers for LGBTQ students.

Resources for students who are members of the LGBTQ community are more available on college campuses than in years past.

Statistics on LGBT college students tell us that more than 100 campuses have offices or resources to help these students.

Given that a reported 65.1% of TGQN (transgender, genderqueer, nonconforming) experience some form of bullying, these resources are certainly welcome.

17. 57% of university students were women in 2018.

The majority of university students have long been men, representing around 58% of the total population in the 1970s. Today the situation is reversed.

At 57% in 2018, the proportion of female students exceeds that of male students.

Student Loan Debt Statistics

18. The average student loan in 2019 was $29,900.

Student loan debt is a significant burden for much of the American student population. Although some of them manage to pay off their debts, it remains a problem that has plagued many students for years.

According to student loan statistics, the average loan in 2019 was $29,900, with 69% of all students taking these loans.

19. More than 3 million American students have student loan debt of more than $100,000, according to college student statistics.

The student debt crisis is obviously hitting some students more than others, but a staggering number of them are deeply in debt.

As student debt statistics grimly admit, more than 3 million American students are struggling with more than $100,000 in debt.

20. Total student loan debt in the US is $1.64 trillion.

If the severity of the student loan debt crisis is still eluding you, check it out. One of the most depressing facts about student loans warns that students owe as much as $1.6 trillion in total.

That makes it the largest debt in the United States next to real estate debt.

21. On average, students believe they can pay off their student debt in six years.

Regardless of how widespread and severe the student debt crisis is, many students feel they can manage their debt better than they actually do.

Based on the facts and statistics of student loan debt, the average student feels they can be out of debt in six years.

Given that the average college student actually does this within 20 years, as college student statistics tell us, this estimate appears to be way off base.

21. 30% of all Bachelor's graduates graduate debt free.

While it affects many, many students graduate debt free.

One of the most encouraging facts about student debt is that almost a third of all students graduate debt free.

A small percentage (around 10%) end up with relatively modest debt of $10,000 or less.

College Student Mental Health Statistics

23. 64% of young adults who drop out of college do so because of mental health issues.

Often overlooked statistics on the mental health of college students reveal a troubling trend among college students.

Mental health issues appear to be worryingly prevalent in this demographic, with 64% of young adults who drop out of college due to mental health issues.

24. 80% of students often feel stressed.

College students and stress are practically synonymous right now, as students juggle college, a job, and other obstacles in their lives.

So it's no surprise to learn from college student stress statistics that four-fifths report feeling stressed on a regular basis.

25. Depression rates among college students increased 5.1% from fall 2019 to March 2020.

The uncertainty that the coronavirus pandemic has brought to the world has affected all of us mentally and emotionally.

And unsurprisingly, there has indeed been an increase in depression among college students, statistics tell us.

Interestingly, things like drug or alcohol abuse, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts have not increased; in fact, some have decreased slightly.

26. Approximately seven in ten college presidents said they have reallocated or identified additional resources to address mental health issues.

Although the problem does not seem to be adequately addressed, universities are realizing the prevalence of mental health problems among their students.

As statistics on college student mental health show, around 70% of universities report better funding geared towards addressing their students' mental health challenges.

27. Only 10% of college athletes seek counseling for their mental health issues.

Many students struggle with depression or anxiety (about 33%), but only about a third seek counselling. That's bad enough, but the situation looks even worse for student athletes.

Looking at mental health statistics for physical education students, it is found that only 10% of depressed people in this demographic seek professional help for their mental health.

Health and lifestyle of university students

28. In fall 2019, about 41% of college students rated their health as very good.

While there is a lot to be said about college students and their health, we see that a large proportion of them think they are healthy.

College student health statistics give us an idea of ​​how students perceive their health, with more than 40% of them believing they are healthy.

On the contrary, only 11% of them considered that their health was poor.

29. The average college student sleeps between 6 and 6.9 hours a night.

When it comes to sleep deprivation among college students, the statistics prove what we already know. The average student is constantly sleep deprived, getting 6-7 hours of sleep.

While that sleep time isn't surprisingly short, it's still below the recommended eight hours, which can lead to health problems if the habit continues.

30. 40-45% of college students exercise at least three times a week.

College student exercise statistics show that a significant portion of this demographic exercises regularly. It would be great if the number was a bit higher because according to Scientificbrain facts, Exercise is one of the best ways to keep your mind healthy.

In fact, there is a strong correlation between better grade point averages and exercise. However, the current student statistics on this topic are still good news.

31. Almost 55% of students between the ages of 18 and 22 have consumed alcohol in the last month.

There are few times in life more conducive to drinking and partying than your college days. Many college students are aware of this, as evidenced by College Student Alcohol Facts.

It appears that more than half of the students in the 18-22 age group have consumed alcohol in the past 30 days or so.

Now about a third of them have gotten drunk (ie brought their blood alcohol level to 0.08 g/dL) in the same period.

32. Participants who drank 11 or more glasses of milk in the last seven days reported the highest GPA.

This is one of the weirder nutrition statistics for college students. It seems that many students with high GPAs seriously drink milk. A large number of them with a GPA of around 3.5 drink a whopping 11 glasses of milk every week.

33. The average college student receives two parking tickets a year.

Nobody likes parking tickets, but college students seem to get them too often for comfort. According to the data, the average college student receives two parking tickets a year.

This isn't one of those fun facts college students love to hear, but it seems to come with the territory.

34. The average caffeine intake among college students is 173 mg per day.

Caffeine and college students have been a dangerous alliance for as long as anyone can remember. Today, students consume about 173 mg of caffeine on average per day.

However, current caffeine and student statistics are not cause for concern, as the recommended caffeine intake is up to 400mg.

35. Approximately 80% of US college students have abused alcohol.

There are some worrying trends in drug use among college students, statistics warn us. Four fifths of American college students have abused alcohol.

This is definitely a concern, but it has apparently been a staple of the college lifestyle for decades, as drinking rates have stayed pretty much the same since the 1970s.

36. 35% of college students are obese or overweight.

College students have not overcome the obesity epidemic in the United States and beyond. An alarming 35% of them are overweight or obese, according to College Student Obesity Statistics.

37. About 54% of college students live at home.

When it comes to college students living at home, statistics show that more than half of this demographic is attending college while still living at home.

Among these students, many more live in families earning more than $100,000 than in previous years.

38. 29% of community college students are parents.

The stereotype of a college student may be that of a wide-eyed young man, but that's far from the only type of student out there. Community colleges, for example, have many parents enrolled.

As community college student statistics show, almost 30% of them have a child.

The central theses

Hopefully, this list of college student statistics has given you a better idea of ​​life for this demographic. We can see that college students are busy, struggling with mental health issues, and often crippled by debt.

On the other hand, quite a few of them have a predilection for drinking, probably as a coping mechanism for all their stressors.

So if you know someone who is in college, don't make it difficult for them. They most likely have enough to deal with as it is.

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