Penn State CORE: College Relationships And Experiences Survey - Spring 2023
Executive Summary
Penn State CORE is a longitudinal study of the experiences and well-being of Penn State undergraduate students across the Commonwealth. Students from all 20 undergraduate campuses participated. This ongoing study gives voice to students as they share about their lives as Penn State undergrads, informs ways that Penn State can enhance their experiences, and serves as a gateway for students to engage more closely with Penn State research studies.
The initial wave of data collection, conducted in Spring 2023, yielded responses from a diverse group of more than 4,000 students across their first through fourth years of study. We assessed:
demographic information,
food and housing insecurity,
first-generation student status,
sexual and gender minority status,
belongingness,
campus healthcare utilization,
mental health (including academic stress),
substance use behaviors,
flourishing, and much more.
This Executive Summary Report presents key findings separately for 2,350 students from University Park, 1,125 students from the 5 Campus Colleges (Behrend/Erie, Harrisburg, Altoona, Abington, and Berks), and 594 students from the 14 University College campuses (Brandywine, Scranton, Lehigh Valley, Schuylkill, York, Kensington, Fayette, Hazelton, Mont Alto, Wilkes-Barre, Beaver, DuBois, Greater Allegheny, and Shenango). Overall, 18% of students report high academic distress scores, 23% report high anxiety scores, and over half report high depression scores, yet only 10% reported using campus healthcare resources in the past month. Food insecurity was reported by one-third of all students. Risky alcohol use, cigarette use, vaping, and cannabis use – including experimenting with Delta-8 THC – are highest at the University Park campus.
This ongoing study will follow these students annually and recruit a new cohort of first-year students from across the Commonwealth to join the study in Spring 2024. Additionally, fourth-year students will be followed for one additional year to study their well-being and employment outcomes.
Penn State CORE is funded by the Office of the Provost, the Social Science Research Institute, the Huck Institutes for the Life Sciences, and the College of Health and Human Development.
Campus Representation
| Number of Participants by Penn State Campus | ||
| Campus | Number of Participants | |
|---|---|---|
| University Park | ||
| University Park | 2350 | |
| Campus Colleges | ||
| Behrend/Erie | 360 | |
| Harrisburg | 229 | |
| Altoona | 207 | |
| Abington | 200 | |
| Berks | 129 | |
| Total | — | 1,125 |
| University College Campuses | ||
| Brandywine | 71 | |
| Scranton | 68 | |
| Lehigh Valley | 52 | |
| Schuylkill | 49 | |
| York | 47 | |
| Kensington | 43 | |
| Fayette | 40 | |
| Hazelton | 40 | |
| Mont Alto | 35 | |
| Wilkes-Barre | 35 | |
| Beaver | 32 | |
| DuBois | 28 | |
| Greater Allegheny | 27 | |
| Shenango | 17 | |
| Total | — | 584 |
| Grand Total | — | 4,059 |
| University College consists of 14 Commonwealth campuses considered to be under the same undergraduate college by Penn State. The remaining 5 Commonwealth campuses are grouped under ‘Campus Colleges’. More information about University College can be found in Penn State’s website at https://www.campuses.psu.edu/university-college | ||
Demographics
General Demographics
| Characteristic | Overall, N = 4,0591 | Campus Groups | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| University Park, N = 2,3501 | Campus Colleges, N = 1,1251 | University College Campuses, N = 5841 | ||
| Age | 19.8 (1.33) | 19.9 (1.27) | 19.8 (1.40) | 19.6 (1.36) |
| Gender Identity2 | ||||
| Woman | 2,286 (56.3%) | 1,396 (59.4%) | 577 (51.3%) | 313 (53.6%) |
| Man | 1,621 (39.9%) | 881 (37.5%) | 496 (44.1%) | 244 (41.8%) |
| Sexual & Gender Minority3 | 720 (18.1%) | 380 (16.5%) | 215 (19.7%) | 125 (21.9%) |
| Race2 | ||||
| White only | 2,964 (73.0%) | 1,755 (74.7%) | 778 (69.2%) | 431 (73.8%) |
| Black only | 165 (4.1%) | 72 (3.1%) | 61 (5.4%) | 32 (5.5%) |
| Asian only | 558 (13.7%) | 324 (13.8%) | 182 (16.2%) | 52 (8.9%) |
| Multiracial | 220 (5.4%) | 132 (5.6%) | 56 (5.0%) | 32 (5.5%) |
| Missing/Decline to answer | 89 (2.2%) | 39 (1.7%) | 28 (2.5%) | 22 (3.8%) |
| Hispanic Origin | 317 (7.9%) | 176 (7.5%) | 86 (7.7%) | 55 (9.6%) |
| School Year | ||||
| First year | 1,217 (30.0%) | 594 (25.3%) | 378 (33.6%) | 245 (42.0%) |
| Second year | 1,107 (27.3%) | 584 (24.9%) | 343 (30.5%) | 180 (30.8%) |
| Third year | 999 (24.6%) | 694 (29.5%) | 213 (18.9%) | 92 (15.8%) |
| Fourth year | 670 (16.5%) | 451 (19.2%) | 160 (14.2%) | 59 (10.1%) |
| Other | 50 (1.2%) | 21 (0.9%) | 24 (2.1%) | 5 (0.9%) |
| Prefer not to answer | 16 (0.4%) | 6 (0.3%) | 7 (0.6%) | Less than 5 |
| Living Situation | ||||
| Off-campus | 2,553 (62.9%) | 1,331 (56.6%) | 733 (65.2%) | 489 (83.7%) |
| On-campus | 1,478 (36.4%) | 1,008 (42.9%) | 383 (34.0%) | 87 (14.9%) |
| Prefer not to answer | 28 (0.7%) | 11 (0.5%) | 9 (0.8%) | 8 (1.4%) |
| 1 Mean (SD); n (%) | ||||
| 2 Data for additional categories are available in the comprehensive report. | ||||
| 3 Participants were included in this category if their gender identity was different from ‘man’ or ‘woman’, or if their sexual identity was different from ‘heterosexual or straight’. Data on sexual identity categories are available in the comprehensive report. | ||||
Food Security (Past Month)
| Characteristic | Overall, N = 4,0591 | Campus Groups | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| University Park, N = 2,3501 | Campus Colleges, N = 1,1251 | University College Campuses, N = 5841 | ||
| Food Security | ||||
| Food Insecure | 1,369 (33.7%) | 743 (31.6%) | 423 (37.6%) | 203 (34.8%) |
| Food Secure | 2,690 (66.3%) | 1,607 (68.4%) | 702 (62.4%) | 381 (65.2%) |
| 1 n (%) | ||||
Housing Security (Past Month)
| Characteristic | Overall, N = 4,0591 | Campus Groups | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| University Park, N = 2,3501 | Campus Colleges, N = 1,1251 | University College Campuses, N = 5841 | ||
| Housing Security | ||||
| Housing Insecure | 247 (6.3%) | 113 (4.9%) | 76 (7.1%) | 58 (10.3%) |
| Housing Secure | 3,675 (93.7%) | 2,175 (95.1%) | 997 (92.9%) | 503 (89.7%) |
| 1 n (%) | ||||
First Generation Student
| Overall, N = 4,0591 | Campus Groups | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| University Park, N = 2,3501 | Campus Colleges, N = 1,1251 | University College Campuses, N = 5841 | ||
| First generation student | 1,005 (24.8%) | 372 (15.8%) | 379 (33.7%) | 254 (43.5%) |
| Not first generation student | 2,939 (72.4%) | 1,930 (82.1%) | 700 (62.2%) | 309 (52.9%) |
| Incomplete information | 115 (2.8%) | 48 (2.0%) | 46 (4.1%) | 21 (3.6%) |
| 1 n (%) | ||||
Campus Healthcare Use
| Health Appointments | ||||
| In the past 30 days, have you had any appointments at your campus’s Student Health Center (including for counseling and psychological services)? | ||||
| Characteristic | Overall, N = 4,0591 | Campus Groups | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| University Park, N = 2,3501 | Campus Colleges, N = 1,1251 | University College Campuses, N = 5841 | ||
| Health Appointment | ||||
| Yes | 423 (10.4%) | 259 (11.0%) | 113 (10.0%) | 51 (8.7%) |
| No | 3,598 (88.6%) | 2,073 (88.2%) | 999 (88.8%) | 526 (90.1%) |
| Prefer not to answer | 38 (0.9%) | 18 (0.8%) | 13 (1.2%) | 7 (1.2%) |
| 1 n (%) | ||||
| Characteristic | Overall, N = 4231 | Campus Groups | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| University Park, N = 2591 | Campus Colleges, N = 1131 | University College Campuses, N = 511 | ||
| How many appointments were primarily for physical health? (Please enter a number) | ||||
| 0 | 166 (39.2%) | 54 (20.8%) | 67 (59.3%) | 45 (88.2%) |
| 1-2 | 234 (55.3%) | 188 (72.6%) | 40 (35.4%) | 6 (11.8%) |
| 3 or more | 23 (5.4%) | 17 (6.6%) | 6 (5.3%) | 0 (0.0%) |
| How many appointments were primarily for mental health/counseling? (Please enter a number) | ||||
| 0 | 217 (51.3%) | 181 (69.9%) | 35 (31.0%) | Less than 5 |
| 1-2 | 148 (35.0%) | 56 (21.6%) | 63 (55.8%) | 29 (56.9%) |
| 3 or more | 58 (13.7%) | 22 (8.5%) | 15 (13.3%) | 21 (41.2%) |
| Only asked to participants who said that they had had an appointment at their campus's Student Health Center in past 30 days. | ||||
| 1 n (%) | ||||
Substance Use
Alcohol
| Lifetime Alcohol Use | ||||
| Have you ever tried an alcoholic beverage- more than just a few sips? | ||||
| Characteristic | Overall, N = 4,0591 | Campus Groups | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| University Park, N = 2,3501 | Campus Colleges, N = 1,1251 | University College Campuses, N = 5841 | ||
| Alcohol Use | ||||
| Yes, in the last 30 days | 2,018 (49.7%) | 1,451 (61.7%) | 404 (35.9%) | 163 (27.9%) |
| Yes, but not in the last 30 days | 665 (16.4%) | 306 (13.0%) | 212 (18.8%) | 147 (25.2%) |
| No | 1,203 (29.6%) | 496 (21.1%) | 463 (41.2%) | 244 (41.8%) |
| Prefer not to answer | 173 (4.3%) | 97 (4.1%) | 46 (4.1%) | 30 (5.1%) |
| 1 n (%) | ||||
Binge Drinking
| Lifetime Heavy Alcohol Use | ||||
| Have you ever consumed X or more alcoholic drinks in one setting? (X = 5 for biological males, 4 for others) | ||||
| Characteristic | Overall, N = 4,0591 | Campus Groups | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| University Park, N = 2,3501 | Campus Colleges, N = 1,1251 | University College Campuses, N = 5841 | ||
| Heavy Alcohol Use | ||||
| Yes, within the last 30 days | 1,262 (31.1%) | 984 (41.9%) | 207 (18.4%) | 71 (12.2%) |
| Yes, but not within the last 30 days | 833 (20.5%) | 468 (19.9%) | 228 (20.3%) | 137 (23.5%) |
| No | 556 (13.7%) | 286 (12.2%) | 173 (15.4%) | 97 (16.6%) |
| Prefer not to answer | 27 (0.7%) | 17 (0.7%) | 6 (0.5%) | Less than 5 |
| Not Asked | 1,381 (34.0%) | 595 (25.3%) | 511 (45.4%) | 275 (47.1%) |
| This question was only asked to participants who reported lifetime alcohol use | ||||
| 1 n (%) | ||||
| Lifetime High-Intensity Alcohol Use | ||||
| Have you ever consumed X or more alcoholic drinks in one setting? (X = 10 for biological males, 8 for others) | ||||
| Characteristic | Overall, N = 4,0591 | Campus Groups | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| University Park, N = 2,3501 | Campus Colleges, N = 1,1251 | University College Campuses, N = 5841 | ||
| High-Intensity Alcohol Use | ||||
| Yes, within the last 30 days | 402 (9.9%) | 314 (13.4%) | 66 (5.9%) | 22 (3.8%) |
| Yes, but not within the last 30 days | 433 (10.7%) | 331 (14.1%) | 76 (6.8%) | 26 (4.5%) |
| No | 415 (10.2%) | 328 (14.0%) | 64 (5.7%) | 23 (3.9%) |
| Prefer not to answer | 12 (0.3%) | 11 (0.5%) | Less than 5 | 0 (0.0%) |
| Not Asked | 2,797 (68.9%) | 1,366 (58.1%) | 918 (81.6%) | 513 (87.8%) |
| This question was only asked to participants who reported past month heavy alcohol use | ||||
| 1 n (%) | ||||
Nicotine
| Lifetime Nicotine Use | ||||
| Have you ever tried any kind of nicotine or tobacco product? | ||||
| Characteristic | Overall, N = 4,0591 | Campus Groups | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| University Park, N = 2,3501 | Campus Colleges, N = 1,1251 | University College Campuses, N = 5841 | ||
| Nicotine Use | ||||
| Yes | 1,377 (33.9%) | 860 (36.6%) | 335 (29.8%) | 182 (31.2%) |
| No | 2,573 (63.4%) | 1,437 (61.1%) | 757 (67.3%) | 379 (64.9%) |
| Prefer not to answer | 109 (2.7%) | 53 (2.3%) | 33 (2.9%) | 23 (3.9%) |
| 1 n (%) | ||||
| Nicotine Products | ||||
| Characteristic | Overall, N = 4,059 | Campus Groups | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| University Park, N = 2,350 | Campus Colleges, N = 1,125 | University College Campuses, N = 584 | ||
| Cigarettes | ||||
| Used in the last 30 days | 4.2% | 5.4% | 2.9% | 1.9% |
| Tried, but not in past 30 days | 15% | 17% | 11% | 10% |
| Never | 15% | 14% | 15% | 18% |
| Prefer not to answer | 0.3% | <0.1% | 0.8% | 0.3% |
| E-cigarettes | ||||
| Used in the last 30 days | 14% | 16% | 11% | 13% |
| Tried, but not in past 30 days | 18% | 19% | 15% | 17% |
| Never | 2.1% | 2.1% | 2.4% | 1.5% |
| Prefer not to answer | 0.3% | <0.1% | 0.8% | 0.5% |
| This question was only asked to participants who reported lifetime nicotine use. Data is available for cigars, hookah, smokeless tobacco, and nicotine replacement products in the comprehensive reports |
||||
Marijuana/Cannabinoids
| Lifetime Marijuana Use | ||||
| Have you ever tried marijuana or hashish? | ||||
| Characteristic | Overall, N = 4,0591 | Campus Groups | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| University Park, N = 2,3501 | Campus Colleges, N = 1,1251 | University College Campuses, N = 5841 | ||
| Marijuana Use | ||||
| Yes, within the last 30 days | 596 (14.7%) | 410 (17.4%) | 119 (10.6%) | 67 (11.5%) |
| Yes, but not within the last 30 days | 881 (21.7%) | 574 (24.4%) | 203 (18.0%) | 104 (17.8%) |
| No | 2,420 (59.6%) | 1,271 (54.1%) | 761 (67.6%) | 388 (66.4%) |
| Prefer not to answer | 162 (4.0%) | 95 (4.0%) | 42 (3.7%) | 25 (4.3%) |
| 1 n (%) | ||||
| Lifetime Delta-8 THC Use | ||||
| Have you ever used delta-8 THC? | ||||
| Characteristic | Overall, N = 4,0591 | Campus Groups | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| University Park, N = 2,3501 | Campus Colleges, N = 1,1251 | University College Campuses, N = 5841 | ||
| Delta-8 THC Use | ||||
| Yes, within the last 30 days | 276 (6.8%) | 196 (8.3%) | 58 (5.2%) | 22 (3.8%) |
| Yes, but not within the last 30 days | 463 (11%) | 323 (14%) | 99 (8.8%) | 41 (7.0%) |
| No | 3,048 (75%) | 1,674 (71%) | 894 (79%) | 480 (82%) |
| I dont know | 151 (3.7%) | 90 (3.8%) | 42 (3.7%) | 19 (3.3%) |
| Prefer not to answer | 121 (3.0%) | 67 (2.9%) | 32 (2.8%) | 22 (3.8%) |
| 1 n (%) | ||||
Mental Health
Depression
| Depression Scores (CESD-10) | ||||
| Characteristic | Overall, N = 4,0591 | Campus Groups | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| University Park, N = 2,3501 | Campus Colleges, N = 1,1251 | University College Campuses, N = 5841 | ||
| Depression Score | 10.6 (6.24) | 10.4 (6.16) | 10.8 (6.21) | 11.1 (6.58) |
| Depression Score Categories | ||||
| Above a cutoff of 10 | 1,778 (43.8%) | 1,012 (43.1%) | 503 (44.7%) | 263 (45.0%) |
| Less than or equal to a cutoff of 10 | 2,137 (52.6%) | 1,284 (54.6%) | 567 (50.4%) | 286 (49.0%) |
| (Missing) | 144 (3.5%) | 54 (2.3%) | 55 (4.9%) | 35 (6.0%) |
| Higher scores represent higher frequency of symptoms (Score went from 0 to 30) | ||||
| 1 Mean (SD); n (%) | ||||
Generalized Anxiety
| Anxiety Scores (CCAPS-34) | ||||
| Characteristic | Overall, N = 4,0591 | Campus Groups | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| University Park, N = 2,3501 | Campus Colleges, N = 1,1251 | University College Campuses, N = 5841 | ||
| Anxiety Score | 1.3 (1.01) | 1.3 (0.99) | 1.3 (1.02) | 1.4 (1.07) |
| Anxiety Risk | ||||
| Low Risk | 2,095 (51.6%) | 1,226 (52.2%) | 579 (51.5%) | 290 (49.7%) |
| Moderate Risk | 968 (23.8%) | 568 (24.2%) | 264 (23.5%) | 136 (23.3%) |
| Elevated Risk | 922 (22.7%) | 521 (22.2%) | 254 (22.6%) | 147 (25.2%) |
| (Missing) | 74 (1.8%) | 35 (1.5%) | 28 (2.5%) | 11 (1.9%) |
| Scale went from 0 - Not at all like me to 4 - Extremely like me | ||||
| 1 Mean (SD); n (%) | ||||
Academic Distress
| Academic Distress Scores (CCAPS-34) | ||||
| Characteristic | Overall, N = 4,0591 | Campus Groups | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| University Park, N = 2,3501 | Campus Colleges, N = 1,1251 | University College Campuses, N = 5841 | ||
| Academic Distress Score | 1.6 (0.96) | 1.6 (0.95) | 1.6 (0.96) | 1.6 (0.97) |
| Academic Distress Risk | ||||
| Low Risk | 2,016 (49.7%) | 1,187 (50.5%) | 539 (47.9%) | 290 (49.7%) |
| Moderate Risk | 1,227 (30.2%) | 719 (30.6%) | 348 (30.9%) | 160 (27.4%) |
| Elevated Risk | 747 (18.4%) | 412 (17.5%) | 215 (19.1%) | 120 (20.5%) |
| (Missing) | 69 (1.7%) | 32 (1.4%) | 23 (2.0%) | 14 (2.4%) |
| These scores are based on 3 of the 4 items under Academic Distress subscale of CCAPS-34 | ||||
| Scale went from 0 - Not at all like me to 4 - Extremely like me | ||||
| 1 Mean (SD); n (%) | ||||
Belonging
| Belong at Penn State | ||||
| I feel like I belong at Penn State | ||||
| Characteristic | Overall, N = 4,0591 | Campus Groups | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| University Park, N = 2,3501 | Campus Colleges, N = 1,1251 | University College Campuses, N = 5841 | ||
| Belonging | 5.8 (1.22) | 5.8 (1.21) | 5.7 (1.25) | 5.8 (1.22) |
| Scale went from 1 - Strongly Disagree to 7 - Strongly Agree | ||||
| 1 Mean (SD) | ||||
| Don't Belong at Penn State | ||||
| When you think about Penn State, how often, if ever, do you wonder: Maybe I dont belong here? | ||||
| Characteristic | Overall, N = 4,0591 | Campus Groups | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| University Park, N = 2,3501 | Campus Colleges, N = 1,1251 | University College Campuses, N = 5841 | ||
| Don't Belong | 1.2 (1.00) | 1.2 (0.99) | 1.2 (1.02) | 1.1 (1.01) |
| Scale went from 0 - Never to 4 - Always | ||||
| 1 Mean (SD) | ||||
Flourishing
| Flourishing Scores | ||||
| Characteristic | Overall, N = 4,0591 | Campus Groups | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| University Park, N = 2,3501 | Campus Colleges, N = 1,1251 | University College Campuses, N = 5841 | ||
| Flourishing Score | 44.8 (8.00) | 45.3 (7.72) | 44.3 (8.24) | 43.5 (8.46) |
| Possible range: 8-56, higher score indicates higher flourishing | ||||
| 1 Mean (SD) | ||||
Additional Constructs Measured
Demographics: sexual identity, zip code, residence, height, weight, GPA(HS and PSU), employment status, living situation, birth origin
Parent Characteristics: parent education, parent birth origin
Household Connectedness
Honors College (asked differently between University Park and Commonwealth campuses)
College Organization Involvement (asked differently between University Park and Commonwealth campuses)
PSU Resource Awareness (asked differently between University Park and Commonwealth campuses)
PSU Commute (Commonwealth campuses only)
Campus Safety
Mental health: social responsiveness, social anxiety, adult ADHD, perceived stress, happiness, hope
Physical health: COVID-19 vaccination status, sexual activity, sleep, screen time, physical activity, health conditions
Substance use: additional substances
Caregiver Relationship Questions
Family Relationships
Discrimination
Racism