On Sep. 15, 2025, Michigan Tech students were invited to take the National College Health Assessment (NCHA). The National College Health Assessment is an ongoing assessment MTU participates in every three years, which is analyzed by the American College Health Association (ACHA) and is used to determine the strengths and deficits in student health and well-being. Josh Carlson, Outreach and Prevention Coordinator for Student Mental Health and Well-Being, oversees the delivery of the assessment to students in collaboration with the ACHA.
“The NCHA gathers data on student health and well-being to inform stakeholders on campus, such as student affairs and housing, about issues students may be facing,” Carlson said. “It shows the kind of progress students have made in health behaviors and areas where they are currently struggling.”
This year, to motivate students to respond, a raffle was included. All students who participate are entered in with a chance to win a single-person hammock, a weighted blanket, a Bluetooth speaker, or a Yeti Rambler cup.
The assessment is typically conducted in the fall, and a summary is sent out in the spring, followed by a more detailed report in the summer. “A key takeaway from the results is seeing what kind of assets our students have, what is going well for them, and how we capitalize on that,” said Carlson.
The most recent summary for MTU was published in 2022. Some of the results included how students felt about their belonging on campus, how they were doing physically, and what their biggest hurdles to academic performance were.
National results from each academic year going back to 2000 can be viewed on the ACHA website. Results from MTU for 2016, 2019, and 2022 can be viewed by visiting the Center for Mental Health and Well-being website at mtu.edu/well-being/resource-tools/hms-acha-studies/. The 2025 results will be available this spring.
