In this article, we will look at the 21 colleges with the unhappiest students. But before that, let’s look into whether Americans are becoming unhappier.
Are Americans Becoming Unhappier?
According to the 2024 World Happiness Report developed by the University of Oxford’s Wellbeing Research Center, the USA ranks in the 23rd spot with a 6.725 score. This marks the first year since the report’s first edition in 2012 that the USA did not rank among the top 20 happiest countries in the world. It dropped from the 15th spot to the 23rd between 2023 and 2024 alone. The happiness ranking is especially concerning for younger generations (aged 30 or under). The report ranks the USA in the 62nd spot with a score of 6.392, while the country ranks in the 10th spot for the ranking of happiness in older adults (aged 60 and above). The drastic disparity between the happiness levels of the two segments of the country’s population points to worsening estimates for the young population, a significant majority of which are students.
Unhappiness Trends Among Students
Recent studies suggest that people with more education are happier. Survey data from the US General Social Surveys indicates that 94% of people with a bachelor’s degree or higher reported experiencing happiness in their lives, while 89% of high school graduates said the same. However, these trends do not apply to all students studying in various academic institutions across the USA. Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show that more than four in 10 students reported feeling excessively hopeless and sad in 2021 alone, which translates to 42% of students.
Similarly, about one-third of students (around 29%) grappled with poor mental health. Such complications led more than one in five students (approximately 22%) to seriously consider suicide, and one in ten (around 10%) actually attempted suicide. These trends varied across different groups, with black and LGBTQ+ students more likely to attempt suicide and experience feelings of desolation and unhappiness. Suicide remains the second leading cause of death among young adults, with 39% of college students experiencing serious mental health issues. Student mental health is taking a hit by almost all metrics. The American Psychological Association reported results of a nationwide survey, which showed that more than 60% of college students met the criteria for having at least one mental health problem during the 2020-2021 school year.
Why Are American College Students Unhappy?
Although there are innumerable reasons behind the worsening mental health and increasing unhappiness of college students, the most prominent reason remains financial and academic distress. College education in the United States is expensive and challenging, and is only affordable for a small social class without education aid. Similarly, postgraduate degrees in the US are competitive, with the mounting social and academic pressure leading a majority of college students to their tipping point. These two reasons are also the primary drivers behind the increasing popularity of EdTech platforms in the country. These platforms, such as Udemy (NASDAQ:UDMY), offer users an affordable and accessible platform to gain the education necessary to take on employment in various industries, without having to worry about hefty college fees and juggling in-person classes with work. Udemy (NASDAQ:UDMY) was founded in 2010 as an EdTech company, and has now expanded globally with hubs all over the world. It conducts both academic and professional tutoring in more than 60 different languages. For academic education, it offers self-paced college courses. For students looking forward to learning professional skills to land jobs, Udemy (NASDAQ:UDMY) provides technical certifications. Its business customers include more than 50% of the Fortune 100 companies.
On June 6, Udemy (NASDAQ:UDMY) announced plans to join hands with Amazon Web Services to launch a generative AI upskilling program. Titled Unlocking GenAI Opportunities with AWS, the program will be offered through the Udemy Business Leadership Academy (UBLA). The six-week cohort learning program will help learners get a grasp on GenAI tools and use them to drive digital transformations within their respective organizations. With the applications of GenAI in industries on an all-time high, the program will help students and professionals alike, offering them an accessible and affordable platform to either excel in their careers or kickstart a new one with the right skill set.
On June 20, the company announced an expansion of its Badging and Certification preparation offering, which will now be available to all learners with the Personal Plan subscription. Udemy (NASDAQ:UDMY) also introduced new features for its Udemy Business users, allowing them access to organized content helpful for third-party certification exams. The users will also be able to track their progress through the innovative and personalized insights dashboard. Since the company is a certified 1EdTech Open Badges v2.0 host, it also allows its customers to host newly acquired certifications and badges on the Udemy Business platform. The company thus offers growth and learning opportunities comparable to brick-and-mortar colleges to students across the globe.
Now that we have taken an overview of the condition of college students in the US, let us look at the 21 colleges with the unhappiest students. For more insight, you can look at 30 Countries With The Happiest Workers in the World and 30 Unhappiest Countries In The World.
Antonio Guillem/Shutterstock.com
Our Methodology
In order to compile a list of the 21 colleges with the unhappiest students, we used a consensus approach and a visitor survey through Reddit. Firstly, we consulted ten online education expert resources to compile a list of the 50 colleges with the unhappiest students. Next, we looked at ten Reddit threads that asked commenters to mention the colleges with the most unhappiest students in the USA. We only chose threads that had more than 20 comments and studied more than 300 comments to shortlist the colleges that had the most mentions by Reddit users. We then counted the number of upvotes on each comment and chose the top 21 colleges with the most number of upvotes. The 21 colleges with the unhappiest students are arranged in ascending order of their number of upvotes on Reddit.
Note: This list is not exhaustive and does not reflect our opinion. The ranking is solely based on the opinions of mass consumers on Reddit.
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21 Colleges With the Unhappiest Students
21. Clarkson University
Number of Reddit Upvotes: 276
Clarkson University ranks in the 21st spot on our list of the 21 colleges with the unhappiest students. This private research institute is located in Potsdam, New York, and has a 78% acceptance rate.
20. New Jersey Institute of Technology
Number of Reddit Upvotes: 288
The average cost to study in the New Jersey Institute of Technology comes up to $17,000 after aid. The research university is located in Newark, New Jersey, and has a 66% acceptance rate.
19. St. John’s University
Number of Reddit Upvotes: 301
St. John’s University is a private Catholic university located in Queens, New York City. Established in 1870, the institute ranks in the 19th place on our list. The average cost to study in the institute is around $23,000 after aid.
18. United States Merchant Marine Academy
Number of Reddit Upvotes: 309
United States Merchant Marine Academy is a service academy of the United States, located in Kings Point, New York. The institute has a 27% acceptance rate and 81% graduation rate.
17. University of California – Berkeley
Number of Reddit Upvotes: 317
University of California – Berkeley is a revered public university with an 11% acceptance rate. It is considered one of the top academic institutes in the country, with academic stress and competition being some of the primary reasons behind its appearance on our list.
16. University of New Orleans
Number of Reddit Upvotes: 321
This public university is located in New Orleans, Louisiana, and has a 70% acceptance rate. Its undergraduate enrollment stood at 5,629 students as of the academic year 2021-2022.
15. Suffolk University
Number of Reddit Upvotes: 339
Located in Boston, Massachusetts, Suffolk University is a private research university with an 87% acceptance rate. The institute had an undergraduate enrollment of 4,187 students in 2021-2022.
14. Queens College, City University of New York
Number of Reddit Upvotes: 347
Queens College, City University of New York ranks 14th on our list of the 21 colleges with the unhappiest students. Located in Queens, New York City, the institute is a part of the City University of New York system. It has an acceptance rate of 69%, and a 58% graduation rate.
13. United States Coast Guard Academy
Number of Reddit Upvotes: 358
Located in New London, Connecticut, the United States Coast Guard Academy is a US service academy specially built for the US Coast Guard. It has a 24% acceptance rate, and had an undergraduate enrollment of 1,049 students in the academic year 2021-2022.
12. Montana Technology University
Number of Reddit Upvotes: 366
Commonly known as Montana Tech, Montana Technology University is a public university located in Butte, Montana. It has an 89% acceptance rate, and a 55% graduation rate.
11. Wesleyan College
Number of Reddit Upvotes: 372
The 11th spot on our list is held by Wesleyan College, which is a private institute located in Macon, Georgia with a 67% acceptance rate. It has 372 upvotes on Reddit, ranking it 11th on our list.
10. California State University, Stanislaus
Number of Reddit Upvotes: 375
The California State University is a public university located in Turlock, Stanislaus County, California, and was established in 1957. The average cost to study in the institute comes up $6,041 after aid.
9. United States Naval Academy
Number of Reddit Upvotes: 379
The United States Naval Academy is a federal service academy and ranks in the ninth spot on our list. Located in Annapolis, Maryland, the institute was established in 1845. It has an 11% acceptance rate, and a 91% graduation rate.
8. Wheaton College
Number of Reddit Upvotes: 381
The eighth spot on our list of the 21 colleges with the unhappiest students is taken by Wheaton College. Located in Wheaton, Illinois, the private Evangelical Christian liberal arts institute has an 88% acceptance rate and an 89% graduation rate.
7. Illinois Institute of Technology
Number of Reddit Upvotes: 397
The Illinois Institute of Technology is a private college located in Chicago, Illinois. It has a 61% acceptance rate and 70% graduation rate, and ranks in the seventh position on our list.
6. Transylvania University
Number of Reddit Upvotes: 398
Located in Lexington, Kentucky, Transylvania University has a 91% acceptance rate and a 70% graduation rate. It ranks in the sixth spot on our list with 398 Reddit upvotes.
5. United States Military Academy
Number of Reddit Upvotes: 400
Located in West Point, New York, the United States Military Academy is a United States service academy. It has a 12% acceptance rate, and an 84% graduation rate. The campus overlooks the Hudson River, and stands on a high ground 50 miles north of New York City.