College Binge Drinking Statistics
According to the 2016 Monitoring the Future Study, 81% of college students have tried alcohol at least once in their lifetime and 67% report they have been drunk. More important, perhaps, is the occurrence of binge drinking – 32% of college students report binge drinking (having consumed five or more drinks in a row at least once in the two-weeks prior to completing the survey).
Trends in alcohol consumption continue to reflect long-term declines among college students. Since 1991, lifetime consumption among college students has declined 13% proportionately, while annual consumption and monthly consumption are down 11% and 15%, respectively. Additionally, the overall trend in binge drinking among college students continues to show a decline, decreasing 24 percent proportionally since 1991 (from 43% to 32%) and 21 percentage points over the past decade. From 2015 to 2016 there were no measurable changes in the reported levels of consumption at all prevalence rates measured by the study. Nevertheless, college students continued to self-report slightly higher annual, 30-day, and binge drinking rates of alcohol consumption than their non-college age peers. (Source: University of Michigan, Monitoring the Future, 1975-2016: Volume II, College Students and Adults Ages 19-50, 2017)
The Monitoring the Future Study (2005-2016 combined data) revealed during the two weeks prior to the survey about one in eight (12%) college students reported they have consumed 10 or more drinks in a row at least once, including one in twenty-five (4%) who reported consuming 15 or more drinks in a row. (Source: University of Michigan, Monitoring the Future, 1975-2016: Volume II, College Students and Adults Ages 19-50, 2017)
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College Drinking - Getting Drunk
College Drinking - Binge Drinking