"Just 27 percent of undergraduates describe their mental health as above average or excellent, according to new data from Inside Higher Ed 's main annual Student Voice survey of more than 5,000 undergraduates at two- and four-year institutions. Another 44 percent of students rate their mental health as average on a five-point scale. The remainder, 29 percent, rate it as below average or poor."
"In last year's main Student Voice survey, 42 percent of respondents rated their mental health as good or excellent, suggesting a year-over-year decline in students feeling positive about their mental health. This doesn't translate to more students rating their mental health negatively this year, however, as this share stayed about the same. Rather, more students in this year's sample rate their mental health as average (2025's 44 percent versus 29 percent in 2024)."
"The story is similar regarding ratings of overall well-being. In 2024, 52 percent of students described their overall well-being as good or excellent. This year, 33 percent say it's above average or excellent. Yet because last year's survey included slightly different categories (excellent, good, average, fair and poor, instead of excellent, above average, average, below average and poor), it's impossible to make direct comparisons."
More than 5,000 undergraduates at two- and four-year institutions provided mental-health ratings. Twenty-seven percent describe their mental health as above average or excellent, 44 percent rate it as average, and 29 percent rate it as below average or poor. Compared with the prior year measure (42 percent good or excellent), fewer students report feeling positive about their mental health, driven by a shift toward the average category rather than an increase in negative ratings. Overall-well-being ratings declined from 52 percent good or excellent in 2024 to 33 percent above average or excellent this year, though category changes prevent direct comparison. The Healthy Minds Study found lower self-reported moderate-to-severe depressive symptoms and anxiety alongside a slight decline in measures of flourishing such as self-esteem, purpose, and optimism.
Read at Inside Higher Ed | Higher Education News, Events and Jobs
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