Mental health and stress are some of the main reasons why college students think about leaving school, based on a recent survey by Gallup.
Among students who said they thought about quitting their program in the last six months, 54 percent mentioned emotional stress and 43 percent mentioned mental health as the reasons why, according to the Gallup poll. Gallup also pointed out that 35 percent of college students surveyed reported considering dropping out in the past six months.
The proportion of students who said emotional stress was a reason for considering leaving their programs almost doubled between 2020 and 2023, according to the survey.
Gallup’s survey found significant proportions of students working towards bachelor’s degrees who mentioned emotional stress and mental health. The survey revealed that about two-thirds of students pursuing bachelor’s degrees mentioned emotional stress as a reason for considering leaving their school, while about 56 percent mentioned mental health.
Gallup noted that those enrolled in bachelor’s degree programs were slightly more likely to mention emotional stress and mental health as reasons for considering dropping out than those in associate degree programs. Fifty-eight percent of associate degree students said stress was a reason, while 45 percent mentioned mental health.
Another common reason for students considering leaving their programs was the financial cost, with 31 percent of students saying so. This includes 39 percent of those pursuing a bachelor’s degree.
The results are part of the Lumina Foundation-Gallup 2024 State of Higher Education Study. The survey was conducted online among 14,032 current and prospective college students Oct. 9 to Nov. 16, 2023.
