A Comparison of Community and Four Year College Student
Alcohol Use and Consequences
Illinois Higher Education Center for Alcohol, Other Drug and Violence Prevention
Eastern Illinois University
Alcohol use and the impact of this use among community college students has not received the level of attention or
research that consumption among four year college students has received. This research summary is a preliminary effort
to examine alcohol use among community college students in Illinois. This brief seeks to compare alcohol use,
perceptions, and academic impact between the community college and four year sectors. This brief draws upon 2002 Core
Alcohol and Drug Survey results from 11,198 student respondents at 33 institutions of higher education in Illinois. It is
important to note the Core Survey sampling procedures are representative of campuses and not the state as a whole,
limiting the representative nature of the findings. Even with the sampling limitation the 2002 Core Survey results still
represent the best available data related to Illinois college student alcohol and other drug use.
Prevalence of Alcohol Use
Alcohol use by college students has been identified as a significant public health problem. This identification has largely
been made through evidence gathered on four-year college campuses, with less attention to the public health concern of
alcohol in the rapidly expanding community college student population. Alcohol consumption prevalence rates at 13
community colleges and 20 four year institutions of higher education in Illinois reveal that while alcohol consumption is
higher at four year campuses, the prevalence of heavy alcohol consumption at community colleges is alarming. The
number of students reporting consuming five or more drinks in one sitting is above 41% in the community college sector
and 48% in the four year sector (Table A). The concern with this level of consumption is an increased likelihood of
negative consequences related to alcohol use.
Table A:
Self reported alcohol consumption of students…
Students reporting consuming five or more drinks
at one sitting in past two weeks
Average weekly alcohol consumption
Alcohol consumption increased in past year
Community
College
41.4%
Four Year College
5.2 Drinks
17.4%
5.8 Drinks
22.5%
48.3%
Background Characteristics and Alcohol Use
General consumption patterns of community college and four year students reveal consumption amounts at a level of
concern. It is helpful to further examine the nature of alcohol consumption patterns and student background characteristics
(Table B). The ethnic background of college students is related to significant variation in consumption patterns. White
students consistently consume at higher levels than other ethnic groups. African Americans consume at lower levels than
other ethnic groups. An important difference emerging between two and four year college students is among the Asian/
Pacific Islander population. Students in this ethnic group in the community college sector report consuming considerably
more than those in the four year sector.
An analysis of class standing reveals a pattern of increased alcohol use from first year to second year students. Nondegree seeking students in community colleges consume far less than four-year college non-degree seeking students. In
regard to gender, men consume at much higher rates than women consume. In regard to age, alcohol consumption at highrisk levels is a traditional college age (17 to 24) dynamic.
Table B:
Self reported average weekly alcohol consumption of
students…
Ethnic Origins
White
Hispanic
Asian/ Pacific Islander
Black
Other
Class Standing
Freshman
Sophomore
Non Degree Seeking
Gender
Male
Female
Age
17 to 24
25-29
30-39
40 and over
Community
College
5.47
4.02
5.84
2.37
7.13
4.89
5.6
3.83
8.56
3.2
6.02
3.29
2.61
1.89
Four Year College
6.56
5.53
2.03
2.33
5.43
5.76
6.4
9.42
8.29
3.79
6.17
3.28
2.06
2.17
Perception of Alcohol Use
Students’ perceptions of alcohol use by their peers is an indication of the role of alcohol in the social lives of students
attending college (Table C). It is clear that in both the community college and four-year sectors there are significant
misperceptions regarding the use of alcohol. Reported perceptions are (1) that alcohol use is highly prevalent, (2) there are
few student who don’t consume alcohol, and (3) there are more students who use daily than there are that don’t. In fact,
close to 20% of students report being non-consumers of alcohol, less than half drink once a week or more, and only about
1% of students drink daily. Common misperceptions of use are indicative of a social environment where alcohol abuse
has a strong role. Correcting misperceptions of student use is a viable strategy for alcohol abuse prevention in both
community college and four-year sectors.
Table C:
Perception and Actual Alcohol Use…
Perceived Average Student Never Uses
Perceived Average Student Uses Once a
Week or More
Perceived Average Student Uses Daily
Perception of
Community
College
Students
Actual
Response of
Community
College
Students
Perception of
Four Year
College
Students
3%
90%
20.5%
39.5%
2.8%
89%
Actual
Response
of Four
Year
College
Students
17.2%
45.1%
12.7%
1.3%
10.7%
1.2%
Alcohol Use and Academic Performance
The association between alcohol consumption level and students’ academic success is an important consideration for
college leaders when examining the potential impact of alcohol use. This association between (see Table D) alcohol use
and academic performance is apparent in self-reported class absences, negative test performances, and trouble with police
or college authorities. Community college students report significant instances of alcohol use negatively impacting their
academic performance.
Table D:
Due to alcohol or drug use have you…
Missed a class
Performed poorly on test or important project
Been in trouble with police, residence hall staff, other college authorities*
Community
College
25.3%
23.4%
11.5%
Four Year
College
30.8%
22.5%
14.1%
In addition to negative academic consequences related to alcohol use, self-reported grade point averages (GPA) are also
associated with alcohol (Table E). The nature of the association depicts lower alcohol consumption levels for high
performers and higher consumption levels for lower performers. This trend is consistent at both community colleges and
four-year institutions.
Average Weekly
Drinks of
Community College
Students
3.6 drinks
5.4 drinks
6.5 drinks
5.8 drinks
Table E:
Alcohol Use and Academic Performance…
Report “A” Grades
Report “B” Grades
Report “C” Grades
Report “D” Grades (low response number)
Average Weekly Drinks of
Four Year College
Students
5.2 drinks
7.6 drinks
7.7 drinks
21.4 drinks
Environmental Characteristics and Alcohol Use
The relationship between the educational environmental and alcohol use is a very important association as it may point to
areas of concern that can be modified to reduce student risk for problematic alcohol use. In both the community college
and four year sectors living on campus heightens alcohol consumption. It is important to note a significantly higher
reported consumption pattern by students living on community college campuses that have built residential facilities. The
emergence of residence halls on community college campuses may offer a service to students, but also may pose new
responsibilities for the community college in terms of alcohol related behavior.
Table F:
Average weekly alcohol consumption and
environmental characteristic
Living On/Off Campus
On Campus
Off Campus
Residence Hall
Full-Time
Part-Time
Not Working
Working
Living with Roommate
Student Status
Living Alone
Living with Parents
Campus Size
Institutional Location
Full Time
Part Time
<2,500
2,500 to 4,999
5,000 to 9,999
10,000 to 19,999
Urban, Inner City
Other Urban
Suburban
Other
Rural
Community College
Four Year College
9.54
4.83
11.41(171)
5.35
5.07
5.39
9.55
5.7
3.55
6.78
5.25
2.88
4.36
4.64
6.43
-5.13
5.51
4.05
6.94
6.07
5.24
6.16 (2825)
6.05
5.27
6.57
6.56
5.78
6.01
5.39
4.46
7.01
5.28
4.93
5.42
2.06
4.74
6.64
7.12
--
Student Involvement and Alcohol Use
The nature of student engagement in their college experience is an important factor in the value added impact of college
attendance. Table G displays student reported involvement in volunteer activities and campus student organizations in
relationship to alcohol consumption. The descriptive analysis displays that those who are heavily involved in
volunteerism consume less on average per week than those who are not involved in volunteer activities. Those involved in
athletics, either intercollegiate or intramurals, have higher alcohol consumption rates than do non-athletes in both the
community college and four year college contexts. Another interesting finding is that those involved in leadership
positions within student organizations are universally more likely to have higher alcohol consumption rates than those who
are just involved in students groups.
Table G:
Student Campus Participation and Weekly Alcohol
Consumption Average
Volunteering
No Volunteering < 1 Hour Per Week
1-4 Hours Per Week
5-9 Hours Per Week
10-14 Hours Per Week
Intercollegiate Athletics
Not Involved
Active, Non-leader
Leadership Position
Intramural or Club Sports
Not Involved
Active, Non-leader
Leadership Position
Minority or Ethnic Organizations
Not Involved
Active, Non-leader
Leadership Position
Newspaper, Radio, TV
Not Involved
Active, Non-leader
Leadership Position
Community
College
Four Year College
5.12
4.46
5.32
3.78
4.54
8.51
10.29
4.44
8.47
11.06
5.13
4.74
11.31
5.04
4.96
8.08
6.07
5.12
5.28
5.15
4.67
7.74
11.31
4.6
7.89
10.21
5.9
4.03
7.32
5.56
5.72
7.70
Conclusion
These findings highlight that prevalence of alcohol consumption among community college students is lower than that of
four-year students in Illinois, but still is at a significant level. Specifically, high average consumption rates can be
identified among males, traditional age college students (17-24), Caucasians, athletes and student leaders. It is important
for administrators in community college environments to be aware of the increased risk for these groups. Further, the
harm of alcohol use is associated with important measures of academic performance. Descriptive results reveal that
students report missing class, performing poorly on exams and an association with self reported grades in relationship to
alcohol use in the college context. These results point to the importance of continued work to define alcohol use
prevalence and potential strategies for amelioration in the community college context.