{"id":37816,"date":"2026-05-28T09:37:00","date_gmt":"2026-05-28T09:37:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/?p=37816"},"modified":"2026-05-28T13:18:20","modified_gmt":"2026-05-28T13:18:20","slug":"college-students-are-more-perfectionistic-than-ever-study-finds","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/college-students-are-more-perfectionistic-than-ever-study-finds\/","title":{"rendered":"College Students Are More Perfectionistic Than Ever, Study Finds"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-group\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-uagb-blockquote uagb-block-e7eb3fc3 uagb-blockquote__skin-border uagb-blockquote__stack-img-none\"><blockquote class=\"uagb-blockquote\"><div class=\"uagb-blockquote__content\">A major new study analyzing data from more than 82,000 college students finds that perfectionism has climbed steadily since 1989 \u2014 and the drivers may surprise you. Fear of failure and social judgment are rising fastest, with serious implications for student mental health.<\/div><footer><div class=\"uagb-blockquote__author-wrap uagb-blockquote__author-at-left\"><\/div><\/footer><\/blockquote><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group is-content-justification-space-between is-nowrap is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-b0ffac9c wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\"><div style=\"font-size:16px\" class=\"has-text-align-left wp-block-post-author\"><div class=\"wp-block-post-author__content\"><p class=\"wp-block-post-author__name\">The University Network<\/p><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-uagb-social-share uagb-social-share__outer-wrap uagb-social-share__layout-horizontal uagb-block-ee584a31\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-uagb-social-share-child uagb-ss-repeater uagb-ss__wrapper uagb-block-ec619ce7\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__link\" data-href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=\" tabindex=\"0\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"facebook\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__source-wrap\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__source-icon\"><svg xmlns=\"https:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox=\"0 0 512 512\"><path d=\"M504 256C504 119 393 8 256 8S8 119 8 256c0 123.8 90.69 226.4 209.3 245V327.7h-63V256h63v-54.64c0-62.15 37-96.48 93.67-96.48 27.14 0 55.52 4.84 55.52 4.84v61h-31.28c-30.8 0-40.41 19.12-40.41 38.73V256h68.78l-11 71.69h-57.78V501C413.3 482.4 504 379.8 504 256z\"><\/path><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-uagb-social-share-child uagb-ss-repeater uagb-ss__wrapper uagb-block-32d99934\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__link\" data-href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/share?url=\" tabindex=\"0\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"twitter\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__source-wrap\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__source-icon\"><svg xmlns=\"https:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox=\"0 0 512 512\"><path d=\"M389.2 48h70.6L305.6 224.2 487 464H345L233.7 318.6 106.5 464H35.8L200.7 275.5 26.8 48H172.4L272.9 180.9 389.2 48zM364.4 421.8h39.1L151.1 88h-42L364.4 421.8z\"><\/path><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-uagb-social-share-child uagb-ss-repeater uagb-ss__wrapper uagb-block-1d136f14\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__link\" data-href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/shareArticle?url=\" tabindex=\"0\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"linkedin\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__source-wrap\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__source-icon\"><svg xmlns=\"https:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox=\"0 0 448 512\"><path d=\"M416 32H31.9C14.3 32 0 46.5 0 64.3v383.4C0 465.5 14.3 480 31.9 480H416c17.6 0 32-14.5 32-32.3V64.3c0-17.8-14.4-32.3-32-32.3zM135.4 416H69V202.2h66.5V416zm-33.2-243c-21.3 0-38.5-17.3-38.5-38.5S80.9 96 102.2 96c21.2 0 38.5 17.3 38.5 38.5 0 21.3-17.2 38.5-38.5 38.5zm282.1 243h-66.4V312c0-24.8-.5-56.7-34.5-56.7-34.6 0-39.9 27-39.9 54.9V416h-66.4V202.2h63.7v29.2h.9c8.9-16.8 30.6-34.5 62.9-34.5 67.2 0 79.7 44.3 79.7 101.9V416z\"><\/path><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">College students today face a greater internal pressure to be perfect than any previous generation, according to a sweeping new analysis <a href=\"https:\/\/www.apa.org\/pubs\/journals\/releases\/bul-bul0000518.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">published<\/a> in <em>Psychological Bulletin<\/em> by the American Psychological Association. Researchers at the London School of Economics and Political Science and York St. John University reviewed 35 years of data from more than 82,000 students in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom, finding that self-reported perfectionism has climbed consistently from 1989 through 2024.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The findings carry a serious warning for campus mental health: higher perfectionism is reliably linked to greater rates of depression and anxiety. Lead author Thomas Curran, an associate professor in the Department of Psychological and Behavioural Science at the London School of Economics and Political Science, called it a systemic threat, urging policymakers to look beyond individual behavior. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cPerfectionism is a public health risk \u2013 it\u2019s associated with increased depression and anxiety,\u201d Curran said in a news release. \u201cIf we want to tackle the youth mental health crisis, we need to focus on these cultural and economic factors.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Two Faces of Perfectionism<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The study, which pooled data from 307 individual research projects conducted between 1989 and 2024, measured perfectionism along two distinct dimensions. Researchers distinguished between what they termed &#8220;perfectionistic strivings&#8221; \u2014 the drive to set impossibly high standards and grind toward them \u2014 and &#8220;perfectionistic concerns,&#8221; which capture fear of failure, indecisiveness and anxiety about being judged negatively by others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Both dimensions have risen over time, but they haven&#8217;t moved in lockstep. Since the early 2000s, perfectionistic concerns have grown at a noticeably faster rate than perfectionistic strivings, suggesting that today&#8217;s college students are not simply more ambitious \u2014 they are more afraid. The gap between wanting to succeed and dreading what happens if they don&#8217;t appears to be widening with each passing decade.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Economics, Not Just Algorithms<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Much of the public conversation about student mental health has centered on smartphones and social media platforms. But the researchers push back on that narrative with a pointed observation: the upward trend in perfectionism was already well underway before Instagram, TikTok or even Facebook existed. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;Phones and social media have received a lot of the blame, but the rise in perfectionism predates social media. This research study suggests something deeper is at work,&#8221; Curran added.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That deeper force, the data suggest, is economic. The researchers mapped perfectionism rates against macroeconomic indicators across time and country, uncovering two distinct patterns. Slowing GDP per capita \u2014 the kind of stagnation that has characterized much of the post-2008 era \u2014 was associated with higher perfectionistic strivings. Rising income inequality, meanwhile, tracked with steeper growth in perfectionistic concerns.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Curran explained the logic this way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;When there&#8217;s a lack of economic opportunity, young people seem to compensate with striving,&#8221; he said.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The connection between inequality and fear is similarly intuitive. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;And when inequality grows, what you see is that fear and worry about making mistakes and other people&#8217;s opinions starts to become a more central feature of young people&#8217;s psychology,&#8221; added Curran.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In other words, the more unequal a society becomes, the higher the perceived stakes of any single failure \u2014 and young people internalize that arithmetic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Why It Matters for Students Today<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For current college students navigating a competitive job market, mounting student debt, and uncertainty about the future, these findings resonate with lived experience. The research suggests that the relentless pressure many students describe \u2014 to maintain a perfect GPA, build an impressive resume, and never stumble publicly \u2014 isn&#8217;t simply a personal quirk or a generational weakness. It reflects real structural pressures baked into the economy students are inheriting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Curran noted that &#8220;These findings provide additional context for recent debates about youth mental health,&#8221; situating the perfectionism crisis within a broader conversation that too often focuses on individual screen habits while overlooking the social and economic scaffolding underneath them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Critically, the link between perfectionism and mental health symptoms held steady across all 35 years of data the team examined. That stability means perfectionism&#8217;s psychological toll is not softening over time, even as the trait itself becomes more common. As rates of perfectionism continue to climb, its contribution to rates of depression and anxiety among young people is likely to grow alongside it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What Comes Next<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The researchers argue that addressing the youth mental health crisis requires more than apps that track screen time or campus counseling centers \u2014 important as those resources are. Structural interventions targeting economic inequality and expanding opportunity for young people may be just as essential to bending the perfectionism curve downward.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For students, recognizing that the pressure they feel is, at least in part, a product of the world they were handed \u2014 rather than a personal failing \u2014 may itself be a meaningful first step.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:8px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"source-attribution wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Source:<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eurekalert.org\/news-releases\/1129693\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">American Psychological Association<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A major new study analyzing data from more than 82,000 college students finds that perfectionism has climbed steadily since 1989 \u2014 and the drivers may surprise you. Fear of failure and social judgment are rising fastest, with serious implications for student mental health.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":37815,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"single-no-separators","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[13],"tags":[371,2440,2441,580,1039,2439,2442,2465],"class_list":["post-37816","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-mental-health","tag-american-psychological-association","tag-college-students","tag-economic-inequality","tag-london-school-of-economics","tag-mental-health","tag-perfectionism","tag-student-wellness","tag-york-st-john-university"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t<!-- All in One SEO 4.9.8 - aioseo.com -->\n\t<meta name=\"description\" content=\"A major new study analyzing data from more than 82,000 college students finds that perfectionism has climbed steadily since 1989 \u2014 and the drivers may surprise you. Fear of failure and social judgment are rising fastest, with serious implications for student mental health.\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"max-image-preview:large\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"author\" content=\"The University Network\"\/>\n\t<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/college-students-are-more-perfectionistic-than-ever-study-finds\/\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"generator\" content=\"All in One SEO (AIOSEO) 4.9.8\" \/>\n\t\t<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n\t\t<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"TUN - The University Network\" \/>\n\t\t<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n\t\t<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"College Students Are More Perfectionistic Than Ever, Study Finds - TUN\" \/>\n\t\t<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"A major new study analyzing data from more than 82,000 college students finds that perfectionism has climbed steadily since 1989 \u2014 and the drivers may surprise you. Fear of failure and social judgment are rising fastest, with serious implications for student mental health.\" \/>\n\t\t<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/college-students-are-more-perfectionistic-than-ever-study-finds\/\" \/>\n\t\t<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-05-28T09:37:00+00:00\" \/>\n\t\t<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-05-28T13:18:20+00:00\" \/>\n\t\t<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n\t\t<meta name=\"twitter:title\" content=\"College Students Are More Perfectionistic Than Ever, Study Finds - TUN\" \/>\n\t\t<meta name=\"twitter:description\" content=\"A major new study analyzing data from more than 82,000 college students finds that perfectionism has climbed steadily since 1989 \u2014 and the drivers may surprise you. Fear of failure and social judgment are rising fastest, with serious implications for student mental health.\" \/>\n\t\t<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"aioseo-schema\">\n\t\t\t{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"BlogPosting\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.tun.com\\\/home\\\/college-students-are-more-perfectionistic-than-ever-study-finds\\\/#blogposting\",\"name\":\"College Students Are More Perfectionistic Than Ever, Study Finds - TUN\",\"headline\":\"College Students Are More Perfectionistic Than Ever, Study Finds\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.tun.com\\\/home\\\/author\\\/funky_junkie\\\/#author\"},\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.tun.com\\\/home\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.tun.com\\\/home\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/05\\\/college-students-are-more-perfectionistic-than-ever-study-fi.png\",\"width\":1536,\"height\":1024,\"caption\":\"College student overwhelmed by pressure and performance metrics at a desk\"},\"datePublished\":\"2026-05-28T09:37:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-05-28T13:18:20+00:00\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.tun.com\\\/home\\\/college-students-are-more-perfectionistic-than-ever-study-finds\\\/#webpage\"},\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.tun.com\\\/home\\\/college-students-are-more-perfectionistic-than-ever-study-finds\\\/#webpage\"},\"articleSection\":\"Mental Health, American Psychological Association, college students, economic inequality, London School of Economics, mental health, perfectionism, student wellness, York St. John University\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.tun.com\\\/home\\\/college-students-are-more-perfectionistic-than-ever-study-finds\\\/#breadcrumblist\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.tun.com\\\/home#listItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.tun.com\\\/home\",\"nextItem\":{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.tun.com\\\/home\\\/category\\\/mental-health\\\/#listItem\",\"name\":\"Mental Health\"}},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.tun.com\\\/home\\\/category\\\/mental-health\\\/#listItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Mental Health\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.tun.com\\\/home\\\/category\\\/mental-health\\\/\",\"nextItem\":{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.tun.com\\\/home\\\/college-students-are-more-perfectionistic-than-ever-study-finds\\\/#listItem\",\"name\":\"College Students Are More Perfectionistic Than Ever, Study Finds\"},\"previousItem\":{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.tun.com\\\/home#listItem\",\"name\":\"Home\"}},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.tun.com\\\/home\\\/college-students-are-more-perfectionistic-than-ever-study-finds\\\/#listItem\",\"position\":3,\"name\":\"College Students Are More Perfectionistic Than Ever, Study Finds\",\"previousItem\":{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.tun.com\\\/home\\\/category\\\/mental-health\\\/#listItem\",\"name\":\"Mental Health\"}}]},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.tun.com\\\/home\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Home\",\"description\":\"The University Network\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.tun.com\\\/home\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.tun.com\\\/home\\\/author\\\/funky_junkie\\\/#author\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.tun.com\\\/home\\\/author\\\/funky_junkie\\\/\",\"name\":\"The University Network\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.tun.com\\\/home\\\/college-students-are-more-perfectionistic-than-ever-study-finds\\\/#authorImage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/13dd0893ea3180b8e23da81ab702e21a881401f7778d2b4aedbd75103e0b7e4f?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"width\":96,\"height\":96,\"caption\":\"The University Network\"}},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.tun.com\\\/home\\\/college-students-are-more-perfectionistic-than-ever-study-finds\\\/#webpage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.tun.com\\\/home\\\/college-students-are-more-perfectionistic-than-ever-study-finds\\\/\",\"name\":\"College Students Are More Perfectionistic Than Ever, Study Finds - TUN\",\"description\":\"A major new study analyzing data from more than 82,000 college students finds that perfectionism has climbed steadily since 1989 \\u2014 and the drivers may surprise you. Fear of failure and social judgment are rising fastest, with serious implications for student mental health.\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.tun.com\\\/home\\\/#website\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.tun.com\\\/home\\\/college-students-are-more-perfectionistic-than-ever-study-finds\\\/#breadcrumblist\"},\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.tun.com\\\/home\\\/author\\\/funky_junkie\\\/#author\"},\"creator\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.tun.com\\\/home\\\/author\\\/funky_junkie\\\/#author\"},\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.tun.com\\\/home\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/05\\\/college-students-are-more-perfectionistic-than-ever-study-fi.png\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.tun.com\\\/home\\\/college-students-are-more-perfectionistic-than-ever-study-finds\\\/#mainImage\",\"width\":1536,\"height\":1024,\"caption\":\"College student overwhelmed by pressure and performance metrics at a desk\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.tun.com\\\/home\\\/college-students-are-more-perfectionistic-than-ever-study-finds\\\/#mainImage\"},\"datePublished\":\"2026-05-28T09:37:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-05-28T13:18:20+00:00\"},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.tun.com\\\/home\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.tun.com\\\/home\\\/\",\"name\":\"Home\",\"description\":\"The University Network\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.tun.com\\\/home\\\/#organization\"}}]}\n\t\t<\/script>\n\t\t<!-- All in One SEO -->\n\n","aioseo_head_json":{"title":"College Students Are More Perfectionistic Than Ever, Study Finds - TUN","description":"A major new study analyzing data from more than 82,000 college students finds that perfectionism has climbed steadily since 1989 \u2014 and the drivers may surprise you. Fear of failure and social judgment are rising fastest, with serious implications for student mental health.","canonical_url":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/college-students-are-more-perfectionistic-than-ever-study-finds\/","robots":"max-image-preview:large","keywords":"","webmasterTools":{"miscellaneous":""},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"BlogPosting","@id":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/college-students-are-more-perfectionistic-than-ever-study-finds\/#blogposting","name":"College Students Are More Perfectionistic Than Ever, Study Finds - TUN","headline":"College Students Are More Perfectionistic Than Ever, Study Finds","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/author\/funky_junkie\/#author"},"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/#organization"},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/college-students-are-more-perfectionistic-than-ever-study-fi.png","width":1536,"height":1024,"caption":"College student overwhelmed by pressure and performance metrics at a desk"},"datePublished":"2026-05-28T09:37:00+00:00","dateModified":"2026-05-28T13:18:20+00:00","inLanguage":"en-US","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/college-students-are-more-perfectionistic-than-ever-study-finds\/#webpage"},"isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/college-students-are-more-perfectionistic-than-ever-study-finds\/#webpage"},"articleSection":"Mental Health, American Psychological Association, college students, economic inequality, London School of Economics, mental health, perfectionism, student wellness, York St. John University"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/college-students-are-more-perfectionistic-than-ever-study-finds\/#breadcrumblist","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","@id":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home#listItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home","nextItem":{"@type":"ListItem","@id":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/category\/mental-health\/#listItem","name":"Mental Health"}},{"@type":"ListItem","@id":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/category\/mental-health\/#listItem","position":2,"name":"Mental Health","item":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/category\/mental-health\/","nextItem":{"@type":"ListItem","@id":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/college-students-are-more-perfectionistic-than-ever-study-finds\/#listItem","name":"College Students Are More Perfectionistic Than Ever, Study Finds"},"previousItem":{"@type":"ListItem","@id":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home#listItem","name":"Home"}},{"@type":"ListItem","@id":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/college-students-are-more-perfectionistic-than-ever-study-finds\/#listItem","position":3,"name":"College Students Are More Perfectionistic Than Ever, Study Finds","previousItem":{"@type":"ListItem","@id":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/category\/mental-health\/#listItem","name":"Mental Health"}}]},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/#organization","name":"Home","description":"The University Network","url":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/author\/funky_junkie\/#author","url":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/author\/funky_junkie\/","name":"The University Network","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/college-students-are-more-perfectionistic-than-ever-study-finds\/#authorImage","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/13dd0893ea3180b8e23da81ab702e21a881401f7778d2b4aedbd75103e0b7e4f?s=96&d=mm&r=g","width":96,"height":96,"caption":"The University Network"}},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/college-students-are-more-perfectionistic-than-ever-study-finds\/#webpage","url":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/college-students-are-more-perfectionistic-than-ever-study-finds\/","name":"College Students Are More Perfectionistic Than Ever, Study Finds - TUN","description":"A major new study analyzing data from more than 82,000 college students finds that perfectionism has climbed steadily since 1989 \u2014 and the drivers may surprise you. Fear of failure and social judgment are rising fastest, with serious implications for student mental health.","inLanguage":"en-US","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/#website"},"breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/college-students-are-more-perfectionistic-than-ever-study-finds\/#breadcrumblist"},"author":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/author\/funky_junkie\/#author"},"creator":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/author\/funky_junkie\/#author"},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/college-students-are-more-perfectionistic-than-ever-study-fi.png","@id":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/college-students-are-more-perfectionistic-than-ever-study-finds\/#mainImage","width":1536,"height":1024,"caption":"College student overwhelmed by pressure and performance metrics at a desk"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/college-students-are-more-perfectionistic-than-ever-study-finds\/#mainImage"},"datePublished":"2026-05-28T09:37:00+00:00","dateModified":"2026-05-28T13:18:20+00:00"},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/","name":"Home","description":"The University Network","inLanguage":"en-US","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/#organization"}}]},"og:locale":"en_US","og:site_name":"TUN - The University Network","og:type":"article","og:title":"College Students Are More Perfectionistic Than Ever, Study Finds - TUN","og:description":"A major new study analyzing data from more than 82,000 college students finds that perfectionism has climbed steadily since 1989 \u2014 and the drivers may surprise you. Fear of failure and social judgment are rising fastest, with serious implications for student mental health.","og:url":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/college-students-are-more-perfectionistic-than-ever-study-finds\/","article:published_time":"2026-05-28T09:37:00+00:00","article:modified_time":"2026-05-28T13:18:20+00:00","twitter:card":"summary_large_image","twitter:title":"College Students Are More Perfectionistic Than Ever, Study Finds - TUN","twitter:description":"A major new study analyzing data from more than 82,000 college students finds that perfectionism has climbed steadily since 1989 \u2014 and the drivers may surprise you. Fear of failure and social judgment are rising fastest, with serious implications for student mental health."},"aioseo_meta_data":{"post_id":"37816","title":null,"description":null,"keywords":null,"keyphrases":{"focus":{"keyphrase":"","score":0,"analysis":{"keyphraseInTitle":{"score":0,"maxScore":9,"error":1}}},"additional":[]},"primary_term":null,"canonical_url":null,"og_title":null,"og_description":null,"og_object_type":"default","og_image_type":"default","og_image_url":null,"og_image_width":null,"og_image_height":null,"og_image_custom_url":null,"og_image_custom_fields":null,"og_video":"","og_custom_url":null,"og_article_section":null,"og_article_tags":null,"twitter_use_og":false,"twitter_card":"default","twitter_image_type":"default","twitter_image_url":null,"twitter_image_custom_url":null,"twitter_image_custom_fields":null,"twitter_title":null,"twitter_description":null,"schema":{"blockGraphs":[],"customGraphs":[],"default":{"data":{"Article":[],"Course":[],"Dataset":[],"FAQPage":[],"Movie":[],"Person":[],"Product":[],"ProductReview":[],"Car":[],"Recipe":[],"Service":[],"SoftwareApplication":[],"WebPage":[]},"graphName":"BlogPosting","isEnabled":true},"graphs":[]},"schema_type":"default","schema_type_options":null,"pillar_content":false,"robots_default":true,"robots_noindex":false,"robots_noarchive":false,"robots_nosnippet":false,"robots_nofollow":false,"robots_noimageindex":false,"robots_noodp":false,"robots_notranslate":false,"robots_max_snippet":"-1","robots_max_videopreview":"-1","robots_max_imagepreview":"large","priority":null,"frequency":"default","local_seo":null,"breadcrumb_settings":null,"limit_modified_date":true,"ai":{"faqs":[],"keyPoints":[],"titles":[],"descriptions":[],"socialPosts":{"email":[],"linkedin":[],"twitter":[],"facebook":[],"instagram":[]}},"created":"2026-05-28 13:18:21","updated":"2026-05-28 13:48:44","seo_analyzer_scan_date":null},"aioseo_breadcrumb":"<div class=\"aioseo-breadcrumbs\"><span class=\"aioseo-breadcrumb\">\n\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\" title=\"Home\">Home<\/a>\n\t\t<\/span><span class=\"aioseo-breadcrumb-separator\">&raquo;<\/span><span class=\"aioseo-breadcrumb\">\n\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/category\/mental-health\/\" title=\"Mental Health\">Mental Health<\/a>\n\t\t<\/span><span class=\"aioseo-breadcrumb-separator\">&raquo;<\/span><span class=\"aioseo-breadcrumb\">\n\t\t\tCollege Students Are More Perfectionistic Than Ever, Study Finds\n\t\t<\/span><\/div>","aioseo_breadcrumb_json":[{"label":"Home","link":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home"},{"label":"Mental Health","link":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/category\/mental-health\/"},{"label":"College Students Are More Perfectionistic Than Ever, Study Finds","link":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/college-students-are-more-perfectionistic-than-ever-study-finds\/"}],"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":["https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/college-students-are-more-perfectionistic-than-ever-study-fi.png",1536,1024,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/college-students-are-more-perfectionistic-than-ever-study-fi-150x150.png",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/college-students-are-more-perfectionistic-than-ever-study-fi-300x200.png",300,200,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/college-students-are-more-perfectionistic-than-ever-study-fi-768x512.png",768,512,true],"large":["https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/college-students-are-more-perfectionistic-than-ever-study-fi-1024x683.png",1024,683,true],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/college-students-are-more-perfectionistic-than-ever-study-fi.png",1536,1024,false],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/college-students-are-more-perfectionistic-than-ever-study-fi.png",1536,1024,false]},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"The University Network","author_link":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/author\/funky_junkie\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"A major new study analyzing data from more than 82,000 college students finds that perfectionism has climbed steadily since 1989 \u2014 and the drivers may surprise you. Fear of failure and social judgment are rising fastest, with serious implications for student mental health.","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/37816","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=37816"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/37816\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":37827,"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/37816\/revisions\/37827"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/37815"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=37816"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=37816"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=37816"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}