College student mental health at a glance
Mental health problems remain common at American colleges, but the latest data show a third year of improvement. According to the Healthy Minds Study for the 2024 to 2025 academic year, which surveyed more than 84,000 students at 135 colleges and universities, 37 percent of students screened positive for moderate to severe depression, down from 44 percent in 2021 to 2022. Anxiety fell from 37 to 32 percent, and the share who had seriously considered suicide in the past year fell from 15 to 11 percent.
Use of mental health care has stayed high. In 2024 to 2025, 37 percent of students had received therapy or counseling in the past year and 30 percent had taken psychiatric medication. Among students with symptoms of depression or anxiety, 60 percent had received some form of treatment. College counseling centers see students with increasingly complex histories: according to the Center for Collegiate Mental Health, 64.4 percent of clients in 2024 to 2025 had received counseling before, the highest share since 2012.
This report brings together the three main national sources on student mental health: the Healthy Minds Study, the American College Health Association survey and the Center for Collegiate Mental Health. Our hub on mental health treatment in the US puts these figures in national context. Data on teenagers before college is in our report on youth mental health treatment.
- Healthy Minds Study: annual online survey of students at participating colleges, using standard screening tools for depression (PHQ-9) and anxiety (GAD-7).
- ACHA National College Health Assessment: survey of students at member schools; the spring 2025 wave covered 65,950 students at 97 schools.
- Center for Collegiate Mental Health: data from students who use counseling centers, 162,187 clients at 209 centers in 2024 to 2025.
- The surveys use different samples and methods, so their figures are not directly comparable.
Depression and anxiety are falling
After the sharp deterioration during the COVID-19 pandemic, symptoms of depression among college students have declined for three years in a row. The share of students with moderate to severe depression fell from 44 percent in 2021 to 2022 to 42 percent, 38 percent and then 37 percent in 2024 to 2025. Severe depression fell from 23 to 18 percent over the same period. Even so, more than one in three students still screens positive for depression.
Three years of improvement: Moderate to severe depression fell from 44 to 37 percent of students.
The improvement extends beyond depression. Comparing 2021 to 2022 with 2024 to 2025, the share of students with moderate to severe anxiety fell from 37 to 32 percent, serious thoughts of suicide in the past year fell from 15 to 11 percent, and high loneliness fell from 58 to 52 percent. The share of students who were flourishing, a measure of positive mental health, was 36 percent in 2024 to 2025 after 38 percent in the previous year. Global comparisons are in our report on mental health worldwide.
Lower across the board: Anxiety, suicidal thoughts and loneliness all declined over three years.
How many students get help?
Treatment rates among students are high compared with the general population. In 2024 to 2025, 37 percent of students in the Healthy Minds Study had received therapy or counseling in the past year, a level that has been stable for four years. 30 percent had taken psychiatric medication, compared with 31 percent in 2023 to 2024 and 29 percent in 2022 to 2023. Among students with symptoms of depression or anxiety, 60 percent had received some treatment. Stigma is low on a personal level: in 2023 to 2024 only 7 percent said they would think less of someone who sought treatment, but 41 percent believed that most people would. Adult treatment rates are in our report on adults receiving mental health treatment.
Six in ten symptomatic students treated: But four in ten with depression or anxiety symptoms receive no care.
The main reasons students give for not seeking help are practical. In 2024 to 2025, 23 percent cited a lack of time, 22 percent financial reasons, and 18 percent said they preferred to deal with problems on their own or with family and friends.
Time and money: Lack of time and cost are the most common barriers.
Distress, loneliness and suicide risk
The American College Health Association survey from spring 2025 gives a broader picture of student wellbeing. Of the 65,950 students surveyed, 18.7 percent reported serious psychological distress, 46.7 percent screened positive for loneliness and 25.5 percent screened positive on a suicide risk questionnaire. 10.1 percent had injured themselves in the past 12 months, and 25.4 percent reported high stress in the past 30 days. Distress varied sharply by gender identity: 14.3 percent of cisgender men, 18.6 percent of cisgender women and 36.9 percent of transgender and gender nonconforming students reported serious distress. Wider differences between groups are in our report on mental health treatment disparities.
Almost half lonely: 46.7 percent of students screened positive for loneliness.
Inside college counseling centers
College counseling centers are where most students receive care on campus. According to the Center for Collegiate Mental Health, 209 participating centers saw 162,187 students in 2024 to 2025, with 4,694 clinicians providing 1,114,255 appointments. Anxiety was the most common concern, assessed by clinicians in 64.9 percent of clients, followed by relationship problems at 24.1 percent.
Students arriving at counseling centers increasingly have a history of care and risk. In 2024 to 2025, 64.4 percent of clients had received counseling before and 39.9 percent had taken psychiatric medication, both the highest shares since 2012. 34.1 percent had seriously considered suicide at some point in their lives, 29.2 percent had injured themselves, a record, and 11.3 percent had made a suicide attempt, also a record. 10.1 percent had been hospitalized for mental health reasons.
Complex needs: Almost two in three clients had prior counseling and one in nine a past suicide attempt.
The pandemic changed how counseling is delivered, but in-person care has returned. In 2024 to 2025, 68.0 percent of clients were seen only in person, compared with 1.7 percent in 2020, when 96.1 percent were seen only by video. The video-only share fell to 10.3 percent. Staffing pressures across the sector are covered in our report on the mental health workforce, and the wider treatment gap in our report on untreated mental illness.
Back in the room: In-person-only care rose from 1.7 to 68.0 percent of clients.
Trauma, basic needs and staff wellbeing
Many students who seek counseling carry experiences that go beyond academic stress. According to the Center for Collegiate Mental Health, 44.2 percent of counseling center clients in 2024 to 2025 reported a traumatic event at some point in their lives, up from 37.5 percent in 2012. 25.6 percent reported unwanted sexual contact, and 19.7 percent said they had experienced discrimination in the past six months. About a quarter of clients reported insecurity in basic needs such as food or housing. The average level of distress measured by the centers, on the CCAPS-34 index, was 1.72 in 2024 to 2025, only slightly higher than 15 years earlier.
Access to counseling centers is fairly quick once students reach out: 83 percent of clients were seen for a first appointment within 5 business days, and 75.3 percent of scheduled appointments were attended. Other problems also show up in the surveys. In the Healthy Minds Study for 2023 to 2024, 13 percent of students screened positive for an eating disorder.
Mental health strain is not limited to students. In the 2024 to 2025 Healthy Minds survey of more than 9,000 faculty and staff at 22 institutions, 16 percent had symptoms of depression, 17 percent symptoms of anxiety and 27 percent reported high burnout.
| Measure | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Clients with a lifetime traumatic event | 44.2% | CCMH 2024-25 |
| Clients reporting discrimination, past 6 months | 19.7% | CCMH 2024-25 |
| First appointment within 5 business days | 83% | CCMH 2024-25 |
| Students screening positive for an eating disorder | 13% | HMS 2023-24 |
| Faculty and staff with depression symptoms | 16% | HMS 2024-25 |
| Faculty and staff with high burnout | 27% | HMS 2024-25 |
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College student mental health in numbers
- 37 percent of college students had moderate to severe depression in 2024 to 2025, down from 44 percent in 2021 to 2022.
- Anxiety fell to 32 percent and serious thoughts of suicide to 11 percent.
- 37 percent of students received therapy or counseling in the past year and 30 percent took psychiatric medication.
- 60 percent of students with depression or anxiety symptoms received treatment.
- Lack of time, 23 percent, and cost, 22 percent, are the top barriers to care.
- Counseling centers saw 162,187 students in 2024 to 2025; 64.4 percent had prior counseling.
Frequently Asked Questions
In the 2024-25 Healthy Minds Study, 37 percent of US college students screened positive for moderate to severe depression and 18 percent for severe depression.
Depression has declined for three consecutive years, and anxiety, suicidal thoughts and loneliness are all lower than in 2021-22.
37 percent of students received therapy or counseling in the past year in 2024-25, and 30 percent took psychiatric medication.
The most common reasons are lack of time, 23 percent, financial reasons, 22 percent, and preferring to handle problems alone, 18 percent.
11 percent of students seriously considered suicide in the past year in 2024-25, down from 15 percent in 2021-22.
Anxiety, assessed in 64.9 percent of counseling center clients in 2024-25, according to the Center for Collegiate Mental Health.
Less than during the pandemic. 10.3 percent of clients were seen only by video in 2024-25, compared with 96.1 percent in 2020.
52 percent reported high loneliness in the Healthy Minds Study and 46.7 percent screened positive in the spring 2025 ACHA survey.
Healthy Minds Network - Healthy Minds Study 2024-25 national data report.
University of Michigan School of Public Health - Healthy Minds Study 2024-25 results.
UCLA Center for Health Policy Research - Healthy Minds Study 2024-25 data report.
University of Michigan School of Public Health - Healthy Minds Study 2023-24 results.
American College Health Association - NCHA III spring 2025 reference group executive summary.
Center for Collegiate Mental Health - 2025 Annual Report.