Published in the Fall 2026 Quarterly Newsletter
Understanding the daily realities of today’s college students is essential to building effective, responsive campus support systems.
The recently published Spring 2026 ACHA-NCHA III survey reports offer a comprehensive look at those experiences, drawing on insights from more than 57,000 students across 86 institutions nationwide.
Below are some of the key takeaways from this semester’s data and what they reveal about the student experience:
Chronic Health Issues Hurt Academics
- 35.5% of students reported that one or more chronic condition(s) negatively impacted their academic performance in the last 12 months.
Mental Health Support Is Essential
- 35.1% of students report having ever been diagnosed by a healthcare professional with an anxiety condition.
Food Insecurity Belongs in the Health Conversation
- In the last 30 days, 26.1% of students report having eaten less than they felt they should because there wasn’t enough money for food.
Cannabis Shows Notable Rates of Use and Risk
- 22.9% of students report using cannabis in the last 3 months.
- Of all substances measured with the ASSIST (Alcohol, Smoking and Substance Involvement Screening Test), cannabis is the substance with the greatest proportion of students at moderate or high risk for a use disorder (16.3% of students).
Contraception Use Is Common During Vaginal Intercourse
- Of students who report having vaginal intercourse in the last 12 months, 78.7% used a method to prevent pregnancy.
- Among students who report ever having used a method to prevent pregnancy the last time they had vaginal intercourse, the most commonly reported method was an external (male) condom (49.3%), followed by birth control pills (34.6%), withdrawal (21.0%), and an IUD (16.0%).
Vaping Leads Nicotine Product Use
- 28.3% of students reported using tobacco or other nicotine delivery products in their life.
- E-cigarettes and other vape products remain the most commonly used tobacco/nicotine product used among college students, with 12.3% of students reporting use in the last 3 months.
Intimate Partner Abuse Belongs in Campus Safety Conversations
- 11.8% of students reported experiencing one or more types of abuse (verbal, physical, sexual, or excessive control) from an intimate partner in the last 12 months.
Discrimination Takes a Heavy Toll
- Among the 9.5% of students who report having experienced discrimination directed against them in the last 12 months, 35.6% indicate that the experience caused them moderate or high distress, and 24.7% report their academic performance was negatively impacted because of it.
Mental Health & Sexual Health Trends at a Glance
Understanding Student Engagement with Counseling for Mental Health
- One quarter of students (24%) indicated they had received counseling for a mental health condition in the last 12 months.
- Four in 10 students (40%) report ever receiving counselling for a mental health condition.
- 31% have done so before coming to college
- 9% reported their first counseling experience since starting college
More Students Reporting No Sexual Activity
The number of students reporting no sexual activity in the past 12 months has been steadily increasing with each survey period.
Explore the Reports
View the Spring 2026 Executive Summary and Reference Group reports here. Also available are reports with data specific to both undergraduate and graduate students.
Interested in learning how NCHA data can help you assess student health and wellness issues on your own campus? Learn more here.
Post Type
Articles, Quarterly Newsletter Articles
