More Than Half of U.S. College Students Are Lonely, Major Study Reveals

Nearly 65,000 U.S. young adults (ages 18–24) from more than 120 colleges were included in the study.

About 54% of students reported experiencing loneliness — over half overall.

Female and Black students were more likely to feel lonely.

Spending roughly 16 hours per week (about 2 hours per day) on social media was associated with higher odds of loneliness.

The study was led by Dr. Madelyn Hill, published in the Journal of American College Health; students in hybrid courses reported less loneliness than those in fully in-person courses.