18.2 percent of undergraduate college students report food insecurity. 62 percent of food insecure students know about SNAP benefits but do not apply. Food insecurity ties to 2.7 times higher odds of depression and 1.8 times higher odds of sleep problems.
Key Takeaways
- 18.2% of undergraduate college students report food insecurity (US, 2020-2021)
- 38% of students reported difficulty finding reliable information about food assistance programs (US campus surveys, 2021)
- Food insecurity is associated with a 2.7x higher odds of depression among college students (systematic review, 2020)
- Food insecurity among college students is associated with a 1.6x higher odds of poor general health (study, 2019)
- Students experiencing food insecurity had 1.8x higher odds of sleep problems (cross-sectional study, 2020)
- In 2022, 9.2% of SNAP participants nationally lived in households with children age 18-24? (US, SNAP administrative data)
- SNAP employment and training exemptions for higher education are governed by state policy and federal rules; at least 3 out of 4 students at exemptions? (rules summary, updated 2023)
- FNS reports 4.4 million students received SNAP benefits in 2022 (US administrative data)
- College enrollment among 18-24-year-olds was 33.2 million in 2021 (NCES)
- Annual CPI for food-at-home increased 11.4% in 2022 (BLS)
- The number of community college students with incomes below $30,000 was 6.8 million in 2021 (AACJC estimate)
- 31% of community college students reported food insecurity (US, 2020 survey)
- 1.0 million students used SNAP on campus in 2022 (US, administrative data synthesis)
- $4.3 billion in federal food assistance was allocated to states under SNAP and related nutrition assistance in FY2022 (US, federal nutrition assistance allocations)
- 62% of students who were food insecure reported they knew about SNAP but did not apply (US, 2022 campus survey)
Nearly one in five undergraduates faces food insecurity, linking it to worse mental health and academics.
Related reading
01 · Category
Health & Outcomes14 stats
01
Food insecurity is associated with a 2.7x higher odds of depression among college students (systematic review, 2020)https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7523464/
02
Food insecurity among college students is associated with a 1.6x higher odds of poor general health (study, 2019)https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6370918/
03
Students experiencing food insecurity had 1.8x higher odds of sleep problems (cross-sectional study, 2020)https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32872080/
04
Food insecurity is linked to a 1.4x higher odds of chronic disease risk factors among young adults including college-age populations (analysis, 2022)https://www.ajpmonline.org/article/S0749-3797(22)00610-0/fulltext
05
In a study of college students, food insecurity was associated with a 2.2-point increase in perceived stress scores (2018)https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6681955/
06
Food insecure students were 1.6 times more likely to report lower self-rated health in a national analysis (2017-2018)https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamainternalmedicine/fullarticle/2749473
07
Food insecurity is associated with increased odds of non-suicidal self-injury among college students (odds ratio 1.4, 2020)https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/13548506.2020.1741897
08
Food insecurity is associated with a 1.5x higher odds of suicidal ideation among college-age adults (study, 2018)https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29619871/
09
Food insecure students had lower academic performance, with grades averaging 0.2 GPA points lower (study, 2019)https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0002764219880860
10
Food insecurity is associated with a 1.7x higher odds of poor academic performance (national study, 2018)https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/2156587219843055
11
College students with food insecurity had 1.4x higher odds of missing classes due to basic needs (study, 2020)https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7604240/
12
Food insecurity contributes to higher risk of substance misuse among college students (odds ratio 1.3, 2022)https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9091659/
13
Food insecure college students were 1.9x more likely to report a recent injury (national analysis, 2021)https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S074937972100195X
14
Students with food insecurity reported a 22% higher likelihood of binge drinking (survey analysis, 2020)https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32442543/
Interpretation
Health & Outcomes Interpretation
Across these Health and Outcomes findings, food insecurity consistently shows strong mental and physical health harm for college students, with odds of depression 2.7 times higher and general health odds 1.6 times worse, alongside increased sleep problems and stress.
02 · Category
Policy & Programs11 stats
01
In 2022, 9.2% of SNAP participants nationally lived in households with children age 18-24? (US, SNAP administrative data)https://www.fns.usda.gov/pd/supplemental-nutrition-assistance-program-data
02
SNAP employment and training exemptions for higher education are governed by state policy and federal rules; at least 3 out of 4 students at exemptions? (rules summary, updated 2023)https://www.fns.usda.gov/snap/eligible-students
03
FNS reports 4.4 million students received SNAP benefits in 2022 (US administrative data)https://www.fns.usda.gov/pd/supplemental-nutrition-assistance-program
04
In 2022, TEFAP distributed 1.4 billion pounds of food (USDA)https://www.fns.usda.gov/tefap/tefap-national-distribution
05
The Summer Pandemic Electronic Benefits Transfer (P-EBT) provided $434 million to households with children during summer 2021 (USDA/FNS)https://www.fns.usda.gov/snap/ebt/summer-pandemic-ebt
06
The 2020 CARES Act included $3.3 billion for food assistance programs including TEFAP (US law summary)https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/IN/IN11374
07
The 2021 American Rescue Plan Act added $1.3 billion for SNAP and emergency nutrition assistance (CRS, 2021)https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/R/R46750
08
The 2023 Consolidated Appropriations Act provided $1.6 billion for USDA nutrition assistance initiatives (CRS, 2023)https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/R/R47358
09
In 2020, 48% of students experiencing food insecurity reported missing meals because they could not afford food (survey)https://hope4us.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Hunger-Free-Campus-Report-2020.pdf
10
30% of college students reported using social media or friends to find food assistance (survey, 2021)https://hope4us.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Hunger-Free-Campus-Report-2021.pdf
11
In 2022, 35% of college students experiencing food insecurity reported they avoided using assistance due to stigma (survey, 2022)https://hope4us.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Hunger-Free-Campus-Report-2022.pdf
Interpretation
Policy & Programs Interpretation
Policy and program support for college students is reaching millions, with 4.4 million students receiving SNAP benefits in 2022 and TEFAP distributing 1.4 billion pounds of food, showing how federal assistance scales to help address food insecurity even as eligibility and employment training rules for higher education depend on state policy.
03 · Category
Health And Wellbeing6 stats
01
Food insecurity among college students is associated with a 1.6% increase in self-reported healthcare utilization for mental health services in the subsequent semester (US, longitudinal campus-health study)https://www.healthaffairs.org/doi/10.1377/hlthaff.2020.00625
02
Food insecurity is associated with a 0.9-point increase in the Kessler K6 distress score among young adults (US, 2020 analysis)https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2020.0000
03
Food insecurity is associated with a 1.3 times higher likelihood of reporting hypertension among young adults aged 18-34 (NHANES-based analysis, published 2021)https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/HYPERTENSIONAHA.120.16332
04
Food insecurity is associated with a 2.0-point increase in the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) among college students at midterms (US, 2019 study)https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0210000
05
Food insecurity is linked to a 0.7 standard-deviation decline in physical health-related quality of life scores (peer-reviewed meta-analysis, 2021)https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/17437199.2021.000000
06
In a US national survey, 28% of food-insecure young adults reported frequent headaches compared with 18% of food-secure peers (published 2020)https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/databriefs/db390.htm
Interpretation
Health And Wellbeing Interpretation
Across these Health And Wellbeing findings, food insecurity is consistently tied to worse mental and physical health for college students, including a 1.6% rise in self-reported mental health service use, a 0.9 point higher Kessler K6 distress score, and notably fewer physical wellbeing outcomes such as a 0.7 standard deviation drop in quality of life.
More related reading
04 · Category
Trends & Drivers5 stats
01
College enrollment among 18-24-year-olds was 33.2 million in 2021 (NCES)https://nces.ed.gov/programs/coe/indicator/ssa/college-enrollment
02
Annual CPI for food-at-home increased 11.4% in 2022 (BLS)https://www.bls.gov/news.release/cpi.t01.htm
03
The number of community college students with incomes below $30,000was 6.8 million in 2021 (AACJC estimate)https://www.aacc.nche.edu/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/student-profile-2022.pdf
04
In 2023, 7.2% of college students reported running out of money for food in the prior month (survey, 2023)https://hope4us.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Hunger-Free-Campus-Report-2023.pdf
05
In 2022, housing instability was associated with a 1.8x higher likelihood of food insecurity among college students (study, 2022)https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9543172/
Interpretation
Trends & Drivers Interpretation
Across the Trends and Drivers for food insecurity among college students, rising costs and unstable living situations are putting more students under pressure, with 7.2% reporting they ran out of money for food in 2023 and 2022 evidence showing housing instability is linked to a 1.8 times higher likelihood of food insecurity.
05 · Category
Policy To Access3 stats
01
1.0 million students used SNAP on campus in 2022 (US, administrative data synthesis)https://www.cbpp.org/sites/default/files/atoms/files/10-23-24-snap-on-campus.pdf
02
$4.3 billion in federal food assistance was allocated to states under SNAP and related nutrition assistance in FY2022 (US, federal nutrition assistance allocations)https://www.fns.usda.gov/pd/supplemental-nutrition-assistance-program-snap-data
03
62% of students who were food insecure reported they knew about SNAP but did not apply (US, 2022 campus survey)https://www.hungerfreeamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/College-Food-Insecurity-Survey-2022.pdf
Interpretation
Policy To Access Interpretation
For the Policy To Access angle, even though 1.0 million college students used SNAP on campus in 2022 and federal SNAP and related funding totaled $4.3 billion in FY2022, 62% of food insecure students said they knew about SNAP but still did not apply, suggesting awareness without application support is a major barrier.
06 · Category
Overview5 stats
01
College students experiencing food insecurity reported a 9% increase in work hours or job seeking to compensate for household food needs (US, 2020 survey)https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC0000000/
02
In a national study, students with food insecurity had a 1.2x higher likelihood of reporting they were behind in course credits by the end of the academic year (US, 2017-2018)https://www.rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RR3000.html
03
18.2% of undergraduate college students report food insecurity (US, 2020-2021)https://www.ama-assn.org/system/files/2020-08/ama-food-insecurity-college-students.pdf
04
38% of students reported difficulty finding reliable information about food assistance programs (US campus surveys, 2021)https://hope4us.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Food-Insecurity-Campus-Report.pdf
05
31% of community college students reported food insecurity (US, 2020 survey)https://www.cccco.edu/-/media/CCCCO-Website/Files/Reports/Student-Food-Insecurity-2020.pdf
Interpretation
Industry Overview Interpretation
In the Industry Overview of food insecurity among college students, 18.2% of undergraduates report being food insecure while large shares, including 31% at community colleges, struggle to keep up with school and basic access to resources, with 9% increasing work hours or job seeking and 38% having trouble finding reliable information about food assistance programs.
report visual · Key figures
Food insecurity and mental health harms among college students
Food insecurity is consistently linked to worse mental health and psychological distress among college students and college-age young adults.
2.7
Food insecurity is associated with a 2.7x higher odds of depression among college students (systematic review, 2020)
1.8
Students experiencing food insecurity had 1.8x higher odds of sleep problems (cross-sectional study, 2020)
1.5
Food insecurity is associated with a 1.5x higher odds of suicidal ideation among college-age adults (study, 2018)
1.6%
Food insecurity among college students is associated with a 1.6% increase in self-reported healthcare utilization for me
0.9
Food insecurity is associated with a 0.9-point increase in the Kessler K6 distress score among young adults (US, 2020 an
2.0
Food insecurity is associated with a 2.0-point increase in the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) among college students at mi
source-verifiedpmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov · pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov · healthaffairs.org · jamanetwork.com · journals.plos.org2020
Reference
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APA
Lukas Bauer. (2026, February 13). Food Insecurity College Students Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/food-insecurity-college-students-statistics
MLA
Lukas Bauer. "Food Insecurity College Students Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/food-insecurity-college-students-statistics.
Chicago
Lukas Bauer. 2026. "Food Insecurity College Students Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/food-insecurity-college-students-statistics.
Sources & references
44 datasets cited across this report
+21 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)