National College Health Assessment (NCHA)

Take the National College Health Assessment!
February 19 – March 11, 2026
Check your CSUN email for your unique link to the survey.

The National College Health Assessment (NCHA) is a confidential, voluntary survey developed by the American College Health Association (ACHA) to collect data on the health and well-being of college students.

CSUN has participated in the NCHA since 2006, using these valuable insights to better understand student needs and guide campus-wide health and wellness efforts. Thanks to the data gathered through this important survey, CSUN has been able to support students through a wide range of initiatives, including the development of the Oasis Wellness Center.

NCHA topics include:

  • General Health of College Students
  • Disease and Injury Prevention
  • Academic Impacts
  • Violence, Abusive Relationships and Personal Safety
  • Tobacco, Alcohol, and Marijuana Use
  • Sexual Behavior
  • Nutrition and Exercise
  • Mental Health
  • Sleep

  1. Check your CSUN email for an email with the subject line “Please Complete CSUN’s Health Survey” from Dr. William Watkins, Vice President for Student Affairs & Dean of Students.
  2. Your personal link to the survey is in this email.
  3. Take the survey.
    • You do not need to complete the survey in one sitting. You are free to start and return to it later if you cannot complete it all at once. To return to the survey, simply revisit the unique link sent to your CSUN email address.
    • The survey may take approximately 30 minutes to complete.
    • You are free to skip any questions you do not want to answer.
  4. Once you submit your survey, you’ll be automatically entered to win one of 50 prizes
    • $100 Amazon gift cards (10 available)
    • $50 Amazon gift cards (20 available)
    • 2 Personal training sessions at the SRC (2 available)
    • CSUN hats (10 available)
    • CSUN bags (10 available)

*Winners will be contacted via their CSUN email after the close of the survey.

The following visuals highlight key findings from the 2024 National College Health Assessment (NCHA), based on CSUN students’ self-reported health experiences and behaviors.

Top Academic Impacts: Procrastination and stress were the most commonly reported factors affecting students' academic performance.

NCHA: Top Academic Impacts Bar Graph

Horizontal bar chart showing procrastination as the most reported academic impact among CSUN students at 45.8%, followed by stress, anxiety, financial problems, and sleep difficulties.

General Health: Most CSUN students describe their overall health as good, very good, or excellent.

NCHA: General Health Graph

Eighty-five percent of CSUN students surveyed reported their general health as good, very good, or excellent.

Stress in the last 30 days: Over half of students reported experiencing moderate stress within the last 30 days.

NCHA: Stress levels in the last 30 days Donut Chart

Donut chart showing stress levels among CSUN students, with most reporting moderate stress (52%), followed by high stress (26%), low stress (17%), and no stress (2%).

Average sleep per night within the last 2 weeks: More than half of students reported sleeping less than seven hours per night.

NCHA: Average Sleep per Night Donut Chart

Donut chart showing that over half of CSUN students reported sleeping less than seven hours per night, compared to 45% sleeping seven to nine hours.

NCHA: Campus Safety

77% of CSUN students surveyed reported feeling safe on campus during the daytime.

NCHA: Emergency Contraception Use

26% of CSUN students reported using emergency contraception at least once in the last twelve months

NCHA: Physical Activity

38% of CSUN students surveyed met the federal guidelines for physical activity.

Cigarette Usage: Cigarette use among students has decreased substantially over time.

NCHA: Cigarette Usage Line Graph

Line graph showing a decline in cigarette use among CSUN students, decreasing from 17 percent in 2006 to 6 percent in 2024.

Binge Drinking: Rates of binge drinking among students have declined since 2006.

NCHA: Binge Drinking Line Graph

Line graph showing a decrease in binge drinking among CSUN students, from 22 percent in 2006 to 13 percent in 2024.

Overweight/Obese Classification: The percentage of students classified as overweight or obese has increased over time.

NCHA: Overweight/Obese Classification Line Graph

Line graph showing an increase in the percentage of CSUN students classified as overweight or obese, rising from 39 percent in 2006 to 52 percent in 2024.

CSUN’s recent National College Health Assessment Executive Summaries are available for viewing.

Would you like a brief presentation on the importance of the National College Health Assessment (NCHA)? You can request a 5-minute presentation for your class, department, or group by completing our presentation request form.

For questions about the 2026 CSUN National College Health Assessment, please contact Marianne Link, Marianne.Link@csun.edu

For questions about NCHA data, to request reports or to have past data presented to your class, department or group, please contact Gabriella Nguyen, Gabriella.Nguyen@csun.edu

To explore additional college health data, research, and resources, visit the American College Health Association (ACHA) website, which includes national reports, publications, and tools related to college student health.

To learn more about the National College Health Assessment (NCHA), including survey methodology, participating institutions, and national reference data, visit the ACHA-NCHA page.