Mental Health Support at US Colleges

You or someone you know is struggling. This page lists the national crisis resources, the colleges with the strongest campus programs, and what to ask any school before you commit. Updated for 2026.

If you're in crisis right now

These services are free, confidential, and available 24/7. You don't need a diagnosis or a referral to call.

988

Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. Call or text 988 — 24/7, free, confidential.

741741

Crisis Text Line. Text HOME to 741741 — 24/7 trained crisis counselors.

National resources every college student should know

These resources work no matter which college you attend, and regardless of insurance status. Many work over text if calling feels too much.

988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline

Call or text 988

24/7 free, confidential support for anyone in suicidal crisis or emotional distress. Call or text 988. Special pathways for veterans (press 1) and LGBTQ+ youth.

Crisis Text Line

Text HOME to 741741

24/7 free crisis support over text message. Text HOME to 741741 to connect with a trained crisis counselor.

The Trevor Project

Call 1-866-488-7386 or text START to 678678

24/7 crisis services for LGBTQ+ young people under 25. Phone, text, and chat support specifically for LGBTQ+ youth in crisis.

JED Foundation

Resources at jedfoundation.org

Nonprofit focused on protecting emotional health and preventing suicide for teens and young adults. Runs JED Campus program (140+ universities), Set to Go (college transition resources), and crisis screening tools.

Active Minds

Find a chapter at activeminds.org

Largest network of college mental health student-led organizations. 1,000+ chapters across US colleges/high schools. Peer-to-peer mental health support and stigma reduction.

Mental Health America (MHA)

Free screening at mhascreening.org

Free, anonymous online screening for depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, PTSD, eating disorders, ADHD, and more. Used by 12+ million people. Good first step if you're not sure what you're feeling.

Veterans Crisis Line

Call 988 + press 1, or text 838255

24/7 confidential support for veterans, service members, and their families. Call 988 then press 1, or text 838255.

RAINN (Sexual Assault Hotline)

Call 1-800-656-4673

24/7 confidential support for survivors of sexual assault. Phone and online chat options.

Six questions to ask any college about mental health

  1. 1.

    What is the typical wait time to see a counselor for a non-urgent appointment?

  2. 2.

    Is there a session cap (some schools cap at 6–12 sessions per year)? What happens if I need more?

  3. 3.

    Does the counseling center include psychiatric services and medication management on-site?

  4. 4.

    What support exists for ADHD assessment, autism support, eating disorder treatment, and gender-affirming care specifically?

  5. 5.

    Is there a 24/7 on-call counselor or after-hours crisis line dedicated to your campus?

  6. 6.

    How does the school coordinate with the community when a student needs care beyond the counseling center?

The answers vary dramatically. Two schools with similar reputations can have very different access. Ask the questions during visits and at admitted-student events.

JED Campus participants

The JED Campus program is a 4-year strategic engagement run by the JED Foundation, helping universities build comprehensive mental-health support systems. Participating means a school has committed to ongoing review of its mental-health practices — including assessment of life-skills education, mental-health promotion, identification of at-risk students, increasing help-seeking behavior, providing substance-misuse support, and following crisis-management protocols.

Arizona State UniversityAuburn UniversityBinghamton UniversityBoston CollegeBoston UniversityBrigham Young UniversityBrown UniversityCalifornia State University-FullertonCalifornia State University-Long BeachCalifornia State University-NorthridgeColumbia University in the City of New YorkCornell UniversityDartmouth CollegeDuke UniversityEmory UniversityFlorida International UniversityFlorida State UniversityFordham UniversityGeorge Washington UniversityGeorgetown UniversityGeorgia Institute of Technology-Main CampusGeorgia Institute of TechnologyHarvard UniversityIndiana University-BloomingtonMassachusetts Institute of TechnologyMichigan State UniversityNew York UniversityNortheastern UniversityNorthwestern UniversityOhio State University-Main CampusOklahoma State University-Main CampusOregon State UniversityPennsylvania State UniversityPrinceton UniversityPurdue UniversityPurdue University-Main CampusRutgers University-New BrunswickRutgers University-NewarkSaint Louis UniversitySan Diego State UniversitySan Francisco State UniversityStanford UniversityStony Brook UniversitySyracuse UniversityTufts UniversityTulane UniversityUniversity of California, Los AngelesUniversity of North Carolina at Chapel HillUniversity at BuffaloUniversity of AlabamaUniversity of ArizonaUniversity of California-BerkeleyUniversity of California-DavisUniversity of California-IrvineUniversity of California-Los AngelesUniversity of California-RiversideUniversity of California-San DiegoUniversity of California-Santa BarbaraUniversity of California-Santa CruzUniversity of Colorado BoulderUniversity of DenverUniversity of FloridaUniversity of GeorgiaUniversity of Illinois ChicagoUniversity of Illinois Urbana-ChampaignUniversity of IowaUniversity of KansasUniversity of Maryland-College ParkUniversity of Massachusetts-AmherstUniversity of MiamiUniversity of Michigan-Ann ArborUniversity of Minnesota-Twin CitiesUniversity of Missouri-ColumbiaUniversity of Oklahoma-Norman CampusUniversity of OregonUniversity of PennsylvaniaUniversity of PittsburghUniversity of RochesterUniversity of Southern CaliforniaUniversity of UtahUniversity of VirginiaUniversity of Washington-Seattle CampusUniversity of Wisconsin-MadisonUniversity of Texas at AustinVanderbilt UniversityVirginia Polytechnic Institute and State UniversityWake Forest UniversityWashington State UniversityWashington University in St LouisWilliam & MaryYale University

Princeton Review's mental-health-strongest colleges

Based on student-survey responses about counseling availability, appointment wait times, and helpfulness of services. This list is published annually by Princeton Review based on responses from tens of thousands of students. These schools consistently rank in the upper tier for student-reported mental-health services.

Amherst CollegeBarnard CollegeBowdoin CollegeBrown UniversityBryn Mawr CollegeBucknell UniversityCarleton CollegeClaremont McKenna CollegeColgate UniversityDickinson CollegeDuke UniversityElon UniversityHamilton CollegeHarvey Mudd CollegeHaverford CollegeKenyon CollegeLafayette CollegeLehigh UniversityMacalester CollegeMount Holyoke CollegeNorthwestern UniversityPitzer CollegePomona CollegePrinceton UniversityRice UniversitySaint Mary's College of CaliforniaScripps CollegeSmith CollegeSwarthmore CollegeTrinity CollegeTufts UniversityUniversity of VirginiaVanderbilt UniversityVassar CollegeWake Forest UniversityWellesley CollegeWesleyan UniversityWilliams CollegeYale University

Looking at a specific school?

Every KidToCollege college page includes mental-health badges where applicable and the school's counseling center information.

Browse all 2,900+ colleges →

KidToCollege is free to use and editorially independent. Data sourced from public records including IPEDS, Common Data Sets, College Board and FAFSA.gov. Always verify deadlines and requirements directly with institutions. Not a guarantee of admission or financial aid.