Benefits of Campus Recreation
Results of the 2011-2016 Recreation & Wellness Benchmark

Published: June 2019

Download the Results of the 2011-2016 Recreation & Wellness Benchmark Report

With the generous support of the NIRSA Foundation, NIRSA members now have access to a resource intended to enhance the understanding of campus recreation participation, academic success, and health and wellness outcomes in college students

From the Executive Summary

Programming and resources offered by campus recreation departments are making a positive and lasting impact on students in the domains of academic success and health and wellbeing.
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This resource was created through the support of the NIRSA Foundation.

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Major findings from this report…

Students participating in moderate numbers of campus recreation activities and those making greater time investments in those activities report higher grade point averages (GPAs) than nonparticipants.

Campus recreation programming has a positive impact on the likelihood of student retention.

Campus recreation participants are more likely to report that a healthy lifestyle will be more important to them after college than nonparticipants.

Students participating in a greater number of campus recreation activities and with a higher time investment are more likely to report greater benefits to overall wellness including physical health, psychosocial health, and learning outcomes.

Campus recreation has a wide and impactful reach in the campus community. Programming and services can be used to foster and support students as they traverse their college experiences, and stimulate positive developments concerning student success and wellness.

Download the Report

For questions regarding this report, please contact NIRSA Research Coordinator Ruben Guzman.

For questions regarding the NIRSA Foundation’s support of research, please contact NIRSA Foundation Coordinator Kameron Carroll.