What students told us about loneliness, belonging, and the human connection at the heart of student life.
For students today, the path through university or college is shaped by more than coursework. Loneliness and isolation - amplified by the long tail of pandemic disruption - have become defining features of student life. The numbers in our 2026 Impact Report show just how widely they're being felt.
Drawn directly from students using TalkCampus, the picture is striking. Only 1 in 3 feel they belong at their institution. 1 in 4 hadn't spoken to anyone face-to-face in the previous 24 hours. More than half had considered leaving their course because of loneliness or feeling disconnected from the people around them.
What students said they needed wasn't complicated. Someone to talk to. Someone who got it. Somewhere they felt included.
"I just wanted someone to tell me I was not alone." - TalkCampus student
That's what TalkCampus offers: a global community of fellow students, available around the clock, where they can be heard and find others who share their experience. It's social connection at its simplest - and at its most powerful.
The students using it are clear about the difference it makes. They feel less alone. They feel more connected. They find a sense of belonging that many of them had been missing. For international students, mature students, and anyone who has felt on the outside of campus life, that matters enormously.
"At TalkCampus I am always included." - Mature student
89% of students recommend their university or college continue offering the community. The message from students themselves is clear: the relationships they build with one another are some of the most powerful resources an institution can give them.
Read the full TalkCampus Impact Report 2026 →
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