Health Insurance
Only 6 Colleges Have a Perfect ValuePenguin Health Score — and 5 Are in Utah
Students who attend Utah colleges may be more likely to maintain their health. A ValuePenguin analysis of county health indicators shows the rates of smoking, binge drinking, alcohol-related driving deaths and sexually transmitted infections (STIs) tend to be much lower in the state than elsewhere in the U.S. In fact, five of the six schools with a perfect ValuePenguin health rating are in Utah.
Separately, schools in Wisconsin — specifically the University of Wisconsin's Eau Claire, Green Bay, Madison, Oshkosh and La Crosse campuses — are in counties with the highest rates of binge drinking among university towns. To make matters worse, four of these five schools are in areas with high rates of fatal crashes where alcohol was a factor.
The use of tobacco and alcohol varies by location, but national figures for illicit drug use among young people improved ahead of the coronavirus pandemic. From 2017 to 2019 (the latest available range), illicit drug use by full-time college students ages 18 to 22 dropped by 4%, while alcohol usage dropped by 2% and tobacco usage fell by 20%.
Key findings
- Many of the universities in areas with the lowest levels of smoking, drinking, alcohol-related driving deaths and sexually transmitted infections are in Utah. These schools include Brigham Young University, Dixie State University, Utah State University, Utah Valley University and Weber State University.
-
Rates of smoking, binge drinking, alcohol-related traffic deaths and sexually transmitted infections are highest in Cleveland and Lafayette, La. The largest accredited universities in these locations are Cleveland State University and the University of Louisiana at Lafayette.
-
Schools in Wisconsin dominate the top of the list for the highest levels of binge drinking. University of Wisconsin campuses in Eau Claire, Green Bay, Madison, Oshkosh and La Crosse are in areas with the most reported binge drinking in the country. And four of these campuses are also in places with some of the highest rates of alcohol-related automobile deaths.
-
Figures from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) show that drug and alcohol usage is decreasing at the national level among full-time college students ages 18 to 22. Illicit drug use dropped by 4% — including a 34% drop in cocaine usage — from 2017 to 2019, according to the most recent figures. However, 71% more people are abusing sedatives.
5 of the 6 schools earning the highest possible ValuePenguin health score are in Utah, with the exception being in Maryland
Six colleges with student enrollment greater than 10,000 earn a perfect health rating, according to ValuePenguin's analysis. These schools are:
- University of Maryland
- Brigham Young University
- Dixie State University
- Utah State University
- Utah Valley University
- Weber State University
Except for the University of Maryland, which is in Adelphi — outside of Washington, D.C. — these schools are in Utah. The University of Utah in Salt Lake City is the lowest-ranking college in the state in ValuePenguin's analysis, but the school is only two points from the maximum amount.
How ValuePenguin ranked schools: Researchers scored colleges by quartiles — divisions of a dataset that split figures into four roughly equal sections. A school was awarded a single point if it was in the worst quartile for a given category, two for the second-worst, three for the second-best and four if it was in the best quartile. Four categories — percentage of smokers, percentage of population engaged in binge drinking in the 30 days prior to the study, percentage of fatal crashes involving alcohol and the rate of sexually transmitted infections per 100,000 people — means schools could earn a maximum of 16 points.
While six schools have the highest health ratings across the four categories studied, no schools have the minimum of four points. However, two schools have health rating scores of five, just one off from the minimum: the University of Louisiana at Lafayette and Cleveland State University.
Slightly lower STI rates prevent the University of Louisiana at Lafayette from receiving the worst possible health rating, while just 20% of adults in Cleveland reported binge drinking in the past 30 days at the time of the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) survey, preventing Cleveland State from earning the worst possible rating.
The following table displays primarily in-person (in nonpandemic years) accredited universities in the country with enrollments equalling at least 10,000 students in 2020, according to the Department of Education's records, along with their health ratings according to ValuePenguin.
College | City and state | ValuePenguin health sating | Smoking (%) | Binge drinking (%) | Alcohol-related driving deaths (%) | Chlamydia rate per 100,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brigham Young University | Provo, UT | 16 | 7 | 6 | 17 | 209.8 |
| Dixie State University | St. George, UT | 16 | 14 | 11 | 7 | 286.3 |
| University of Maryland | Adelphi, MD | 16 | 9 | 14 | 21 | 416.5 |
| Utah State University | Logan, UT | 16 | 10 | 10 | 12 | 217 |
| Utah Valley University | Orem, UT | 16 | 7 | 6 | 17 | 209.8 |
| Weber State University | Ogden, UT | 16 | 12 | 12 | 15 | 404.7 |
| George Mason University | Fairfax, VA | 15 | 12 | 17 | 25 | 323.7 |
| Georgia Gwinnett College | Lawrenceville, GA | 15 | 14 | 17 | 25 | 430.4 |
| Long Island University | Brookville, NY | 15 | 12 | 19 | 17 | 349.3 |
| Middlesex County College | Edison, NJ | 15 | 13 | 16 | 25 | 309.2 |
| Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey | New Brunswick, NJ | 15 | 13 | 16 | 25 | 309.2 |
| San Jose State University | San Jose, CA | 15 | 10 | 17 | 26 | 429 |
Schools ordered by health rating from best to worst and sorted alphabetically by the name provided by the Department of Education.
All 5 of the schools in the places with the most binge drinking are University of Wisconsin campuses — and in 2 of these places, alcohol-related driving deaths are also high
Looking beyond composite health ratings, specific metrics reveal different trends. For example, researchers found that numerous University of Wisconsin campuses are in places where the percentage of binge-drinking adults is among the highest in the country.
The areas with the greatest percentage of binge drinking are home to University of Wisconsin campuses: Eau Claire, Green Bay, Madison, Oshkosh and La Crosse.
These high rates of binge drinking aren't accompanied by figures that would indicate these schools rank very poorly for smoking or STI transmission. The Madison and La Crosse campuses are in the two best quartiles for tobacco usage, while the others are in the second-worst division. For STI transmission, Eau Claire is in the best division, while all other schools are in the second-best.
On these campuses, alcohol is more likely to play a part in the deaths of drivers than what's typical in the rest of the country. All these campuses except for the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh rank very poorly (the worst quartile) for alcohol-related driving deaths — though the Oshkosh campus is still in the second-worst division. The campuses at Eau Claire and Green Bay are, however, among the five counties where the percentage of alcohol-related driving deaths relative to all driving deaths is at its highest.
Does car insurance cover damage from drunken drivers? Whether an insurance policy covers damage a driver receives after a crash where alcohol was present depends on who's at fault. Insurance companies won't offer coverage to intoxicated drivers who caused damage. Receiving a DUI can make car insurance rates much more expensive, but intoxicated drivers can be dropped from coverage after an accident. However, victims of these crashes will be covered by the other driver's insurance.
The other three schools are Montana State University in Bozeman — the place with the highest rate of alcohol-related driving deaths (alcohol is a factor in 64% of all driving deaths) — followed by the University of Rhode Island in Kingston and Liberty University in Lynchburg, Va.
Rank | College | City and state | Alcohol-related driving deaths (%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Montana State University-Bozeman | Bozeman, MT | 64 |
| 2 | University of Rhode Island | Kingston, RI | 54 |
| 3 | University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire | Eau Claire, WI | 53 |
| 4 | University of Wisconsin-Green Bay | Green Bay, WI | 45 |
| 5 | Liberty University | Lynchburg, VA | 43 |
| 6 | University of Wisconsin-Whitewater | Whitewater, WI | 42 |
| 7 | University of Nebraska-Omaha | Omaha, NE | 41 |
| 7 | University of New Hampshire | Durham, NH | 41 |
| 7 | Cleveland State University | Cleveland, OH | 41 |
| 7 | University of Alaska Fairbanks | Fairbanks, AK | 41 |
| 11 | California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo | San Luis Obispo, CA | 40 |
| 11 | University of Colorado at Colorado Springs | Colorado Springs, CO | 40 |
Table displays schools in the worst-ranking quartile for percentage of driving deaths related to alcohol.
High rates of tobacco usage in Louisiana and Kentucky and high rates of STI transmission in Virginia could negatively impact the health ratings of area schools — though the extent depends on other factors
With 27% of the adult population in the area calling themselves smokers, Northwestern State University of Louisiana at Natchitoches and Western Kentucky University in Bowling Green are the two schools in places where tobacco use is most prevalent.
Northwestern State University of Louisiana has a health rating in the second-worst division, partially because of a higher-than-average rate of sexually transmitted infections in Natchitoches. Western Kentucky University has among the highest health ratings in the country.
Rank | College | City and state | Smoking population (%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Northwestern State University of Louisiana | Natchitoches, LA | 27 |
| 1 | Western Kentucky University | Bowling Green, KY | 27 |
| 3 | Marshall University | Huntington, WV | 26 |
| 3 | Vincennes University | Vincennes, IN | 26 |
| 5 | Ball State University | Muncie, IN | 25 |
| 5 | Indiana State University | Terre Haute, IN | 25 |
| 7 | Wayne State University | Detroit, MI | 24 |
| 7 | Southeastern Louisiana University | Hammond, LA | 24 |
| 7 | University of Toledo | Toledo, OH | 24 |
| 7 | Ohio University — Main Campus | Athens, OH | 24 |
| 7 | Auburn University Main Campus | Auburn University, AL | 24 |
| 7 | Ferris State University | Big Rapids, MI | 24 |
These schools are in counties in the division with the highest percentages of smoking residents.
According to data that researchers analyzed from the National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD and TB Prevention (NCHHSTP), Richmond, Va. — home to Virginia Commonwealth University — has the highest number of cases of chlamydia per 100,000 people (1,307.7) among college towns with schools of at least 10,000 enrollees.
Just behind VCU is Old Dominion in Norfolk, Va. (1,303.6 cases per 100,000), and Louisiana Tech University in Ruston, La. (1,302.8 per 100,000). These are the only three schools where cases exceed 1,300 per 100,000.
Rank | College | City and state | Chlamydia rate per 100,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Virginia Commonwealth University | Richmond, VA | 1,307.7 |
| 2 | Old Dominion University | Norfolk, VA | 1,303.6 |
| 3 | Louisiana Tech University | Ruston, LA | 1,302.8 |
| 4 | George Washington University, The | Washington, DC | 1,298.9 |
| 5 | Drexel University | Philadelphia, PA | 1,278.2 |
| 5 | Temple University | Philadelphia, PA | 1,278.2 |
| 5 | University of Pennsylvania | Philadelphia, PA | 1,278.2 |
| 8 | Fordham University | Bronx, NY | 1,202.4 |
| 8 | Lehman College of the City University of New York | Bronx, NY | 1,202.4 |
| 10 | University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee | Milwaukee, WI | 1,175.8 |
| 11 | University of Southern Mississippi | Hattiesburg, MS | 1,156.7 |
| 12 | Florida State University | Tallahassee, FL | 1,154.7 |
Table displays schools in the worst-ranking quartile for rates of transmission of chlamydia.
Usage of most illicit drugs fell among young people before the pandemic, though misuse of sedatives and inhalants increased substantially
According to data from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), usage of alcohol, tobacco and illicit drugs was declining before the pandemic shuttered much of the U.S. in March 2020.
From 2017 to 2019 — the latest available data — usage of alcohol fell by 2%, illicit drugs by 4% and tobacco products by 20% among 18- to 22-year-old full-time college students.
During these three years, 49% fewer students identified as daily smokers, while there were 36% fewer pipe smokers, 34% fewer cigarette smokers and 26% fewer cigar smokers in 2019 than in 2017. The rate at which college students used smokeless tobacco, though, increased drastically — 45%. Notably, SAMHSA's findings don’t address electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) use or vaping among students.
Illicit drug usage fell among this demographic by 4% during this period, to 1.7 million in 2019 from 1.9 million in 2018 and 1.8 million in 2017. Depending on the substance, changes in usage rates varied. Seventy percent fewer students in 2019 reported using opioids than in 2017 — the steepest drop. On the other hand, abuse of inhalants and sedatives increased (48% and 71%), while users of methamphetamine remained virtually unchanged (7,000 in 2017 and in 2019).
Substance | Total change |
|---|---|
| ILLICIT DRUGS | -4% |
| Opioids | -70% |
| Pain relievers | -69% |
| Tranquilizers | -62% |
| Tranquilizers or sedatives | -53% |
| LSD | -40% |
| Misuse of psychotherapeutics | -39% |
| Cocaine | -34% |
| Ecstasy | -27% |
| Stimulants | -26% |
| Hallucinogens | -22% |
| Marijuana | -2% |
Table shows total change in users from 2017 to 2019.
What students should know about alcohol, tobacco, drugs and their insurance
As insurers determine rates according to the risk of covering potential policyholders, it's useful for applicants to think about how their behavior might impact their risk profile. Using alcohol, tobacco and drugs may cause the life insurance rates of individuals to go up — especially for heavy drinkers or drug users.
Sustained alcohol and drug abuse can be detrimental to one's health. With severe recurrent health problems, treatment gets more expensive and the cost of buying health insurance coverage is likely to rise as shoppers search for higher-tier plans offering more coverage.
Even in states where marijuana is legal, frequent usage could lead to higher rates for life insurance coverage and negatively impact other forms of insurance under certain circumstances, too — but it depends on the insurer.
Tobacco also can present issues for insurance coverage. Policyholders who smoke can see much higher costs for life insurance compared to nonsmokers. ValuePenguin has found that smoking can result in life insurance premiums that are 215% higher than for nonsmokers. Smokers may also be charged more by health insurance companies — even if they have coverage through the Affordable Care Act.
Methodology
ValuePenguin analyzed the percentage of adult smokers, binge drinkers, alcohol-related traffic deaths and cases of chlamydia per 100,000 residents using data from County Health Rankings, published in 2021, which uses tobacco, binge drinking and sexually transmitted infections data from 2018 and driving deaths related to alcohol figures from 2015-19 — all the latest available.
Researchers included accredited schools with total enrollments numbering at least 10,000 students, which were sorted using a list from the Department of Education.
Researchers evaluated universities' placement on this list according to their respective county's proportion of smokers, binge drinkers, alcohol-related deaths and cases of chlamydia. Using quartiles, ValuePenguin assigned scores to each school and added those together to arrive at a maximum of 16 and a minimum of four.
Finally, ValuePenguin analyzed Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) data on drug, alcohol and tobacco usage among 18- to 22-year-old full-time college students. The data focuses on the years 2017 to 2019 — the latest available.