Student-athletes are particularly well positioned to succeed in multiple areas of life after they graduate, according to a new study exploring the student experiences and long-term life outcomes of former National Collegiate Athletic Association student-athletes and non-athletes.
The study, conducted by Gallup on behalf of the NCAA and based on surveys with a nationally representative sample of 74,385 U.S. adults with a bachelor’s degree or higher, finds that college graduates who participated in NCAA athletics enjoy a host of positive long-term life outcomes at greater rates than non-athletes, among them wellbeing. The new research expands on earlier work in 2016 by delving into comparisons between NCAA membership divisions, similarities and differences by year of graduation, and more.
Gallup measures wellbeing across five domains — purpose, social, financial, community and physical — and classifies respondents on the basis of their answers. This holistic measure captures respondents’ ability to thrive in key elements of the human experience. The research on four-year degree holders shows college athletes are thriving at greater rates than non-athletes in all areas but financial wellbeing, where they mirror non-athletes.
This advantage is consistent across demographic subgroups, persisting across NCAA divisions, graduation eras, genders and races/ethnicities.
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