Starting college is a major life change, and it can be a stressful time for many. Academic pressure, societal issues, bullying, social media, and distance from loved ones can all contribute to college student stress to some degree.
In fact, emotional stress is the number one reason why U.S. students consider abandoning their studies, according to a 2024 Gallup survey.
Stress itself is not a villain, but prolonged stress has adverse effects on your physical and mental health. Let’s break down its causes, impact, and coping strategies.
8 College Student Stress Statistics You Should Know
Every year, the American College Health Association, or ACHA, surveys graduate and undergraduate students in the United States. Its 2025 iteration relied on the answers of 65,950 respondents across the nation. Here are the survey’s key student stress statistics:
- 50.6% of college students reported experiencing a moderate level of stress within the past 30 days
- 25.4% of respondents qualified their stress levels as high within the same timeframe
- Only 24% of college students said they experienced low stress levels or no stress at all
- 49.6% of college students affected by stress reported their academic performance suffering due to it
- 35.5% of college students have been diagnosed with an anxiety-related disorder at some point in their life, and 73.6% of them had contact with mental health or healthcare professionals within the past year
- 46.8% of college students saw their academic performance deteriorate due to anxiety
- 44.5% of students reported struggling with procrastination
- 21.5% of college students said they experienced difficulties with sleep
How Does Stress Affect College Students?
Not all stress is bad — and no stress is unnatural, per se. Humans evolved a biological response to stressful events or circumstances (called stressors) so that we could identify and deal with threats. Essentially, it’s a survival mechanism.
The biological stress response involves a surge in cortisol and adrenaline, two hormones that make your heart pump blood faster, increase your breathing rate, and more. You may know it as the fight-or-flight state.
Stress becomes a problem when it’s prolonged. Your body simply can’t sustain that heightened level of alert and readiness to fight or flee without sacrificing some “non-essential” functions like hunger or sleep. Imagine your ancestor coming face-to-face with a tiger: that’d be no time to eat or doze off!
So, how does stress affect students? If not dealt with, stress can impact:
- Your body. You may experience headaches, muscle tension or pain, chest pain, and sleep issues. Stress can also induce digestive problems and weaken the immune response.
- Your mood. Prolonged stress goes hand in hand with anxiety and depression. It may also make you restless, angry, or sad, cause memory problems, and make it hard to focus.
- Your behavior. Stress also correlates with drug and alcohol misuse, smoking, lower mobility, and undereating or overeating.
3 Common Causes of Stress in College Students
As the college student stress stats above prove, stress is part of student life for many. But why do students feel stressed? Let’s dive into the three most common causes of stress in students.
1. Academic Workload
We don’t need to tell you that coursework can be a substantial stressor. You’re likely among the 57% of college students who report feeling overwhelmed because of coursework. What’s more, 21% of students feel unprepared for a new semester. Among those who cite emotional stress as a reason for considering dropping out, 56% call out the academic workload in particular.
Enrolling in college marks a profound shift in the amount and complexity of coursework. Assignments become more time-demanding, grading standards are at a whole new level, and exams are harder than ever.
2. Societal Issues, Social Media & Bullying
College students don’t live in a bubble, meaning they’re not immune to stress stemming from societal issues. Among U.S. adults aged 18 to 34, the most common stressors are the environment (61%), social issues in general (56%), and gun laws and regulations (54%).
On top of that, about a quarter of students report being a victim of bullying, and 60% say they’ve witnessed bullying behavior on campus. (Bullying correlates with higher stress levels.)
The time spent on social media also doesn’t help. The higher it is, the more likely students are to feel lonely and isolated. Researchers studying social media use among college students during the pandemic also found that it increased stress from peers.
3. Distance from Family & Friends
Overall, 40% of college students say they sometimes feel isolated, and 24% say they feel that way often. And according to the Gallup-Lumina 2025 report, loneliness and isolation are the second most common sources of emotional stress among students who consider abandoning their studies.
Moving away from an existing support network — family and friends — is likely why students feel lonely and isolated. Living on your own for the first time also comes with other stressors like managing finances, securing accommodation, handling paperwork, and so on.
How Can Students Reduce Stress? 6 Strategies That Work
You may not be able to remove the cause of stress, but managing your attitude and response to it is well within your power. That’s where stress management for college students comes in — and these six strategies are your starter package.
1. Stick to a Realistic Schedule
If you constantly feel overwhelmed or under pressure, proper time management can alleviate those feelings. That means planning your study time every week and allowing enough time for each academic task. Make sure to balance your academic workload with your life outside of college (exercise, leisure, social events, etc.).
2. Practice Self-Care
It’s easy to forget about your needs or push them aside when you’re overwhelmed by coursework. But that’s counterproductive: not getting enough sleep, for example, actually correlates with lower GPAs. So, make sure to get enough quality sleep, maintain a healthy diet, and stay hydrated. Keeping your place clean and sticking to routines in hectic times also helps.
3. Keep Your Body Moving
Staying physically active doesn’t just ward off stress, anxiety, and depression. It also improves cognitive function and lowers the risk for a myriad of health problems like hypertension and type 2 diabetes. Strive to schedule at least 150 minutes of moderate exercise per week, which translates into roughly 20 minutes a day. It can be as easy as taking a brisk walk!
4. Get Out There
This is the antidote to feeling lonely and isolated. Yes, “getting out there” and connecting with others is sometimes easier said than done. But since you’re away from your existing support network, you need to build a new one on campus. So, go to events, join a society or club, meet your neighbors, or just hang out at the recreation center.
5. Seek Professional Help If Needed
It’s important to recognize when stress and anxiety start interfering with your daily life. If you realize that stress negatively affects your academic performance or your ability to sleep or eat, check in with your on-campus counselling services. Remember: asking for help is nothing to be ashamed of.
6. Establish Clear Boundaries
Sometimes, you may find yourself wanting to decline an invitation or give up an extracurricular because you don’t have the time or energy for them. It might be hard to say “no” in college, but you should prioritize your studies and rest over extra commitments. Otherwise, you might end up running on midnight oil more often than not.
In Closing
You might be tempted to just accept that stress is an inherent part of a student’s life. But if you leave that stress unaddressed, it may lead to a myriad of negative effects on both your physical and mental well-being long-term. So, make it a priority to manage students stress — or it will end up running your life.
Remember: stress itself is your body’s way of saying, “There’s a threat out here.” It’s up to you to convince your brain that exams and deadlines aren’t the same as coming across a tiger in the wild.