As students return to campus this fall, colleges are putting wellness front and center in response to wellness-savvy Gen Z’s growing focus on mental health and holistic well-being
Today’s college students arrive with protein powders, supplements and functional energy drinks and an expectation that their campus will take their mental health as seriously as their GPA.
More than eight in 10 incoming freshmen say they are planning or open to using campus mental health services, and 65% have received therapy before starting college, according to a new national survey from TimelyCare. The findings from the virtual health provider also show that belonging is as critical as academics for today’s students, yet 57% report feeling lonely at least occasionally.
Moravian University, in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, is building directly to those needs. Hub, its new student center set to open this fall, will fuse health and counseling services with inclusive gathering spaces, dining and career support, an intentional redesign to make wellness and community as central to campus life as lectures and labs. The space will also offer quiet reflection spaces, meeting rooms and conference facilities featuring Apple technology.
“The Hub represents the future of student life at Moravian,” Moravian University president Bryon Grigsby said. “We have designed this space to serve the whole student—supporting wellness, academic performance, career preparation and a strong sense of belonging in one unified space.”
The project has already secured WELL pre-certification from the International WELL Building Institute, a designation granted to buildings that meet evidence-based standards for air, light, acoustics and other health-promoting features. It’s one of only two higher-ed buildings in Pennsylvania to achieve the recognition, joining the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School.
Moravian’s wellness-focused investment mirrors moves by other college institutions. The University of Pittsburgh is set to open its new recreation and wellness center, featuring an expanded recreation space, a fifth-floor pool overlooking the Cathedral of Learning, a climbing wall, multipurpose studios and integrated wellness resources.
At the University of Texas, Peloton has carved out a branded zone in Gregory Gym featuring seven Bike+ and Row stations, with live and on-demand classes free to students. It’s a move Peloton could replicate elsewhere. On its recent earnings call, the connected fitness company said it will fold its Precor operations into a single commercial business unit designed for gym operators, hotels, residential buildings and campuses.
The University of San Diego has also invested in wellness. This past spring, it opened the 80,000-square-foot Palomar Health Student Wellness Center, along with 69,000 square feet of outdoor space, featuring functional training areas, outdoor turf for for-credit classes such as dance, pickleball or yoga, rejuvenation labs with nap pods, an art therapy zone, and soundproof telehealth booths for mental health counseling. Meanwhile, Marquette University opened its Wellness + Helfaer Recreation facility at the beginning of the year with a reimagined space that includes a three-story wellness tower, expanded recreational facilities, meditation and quiet rooms and integrated medical and mental health services.
With mental health support now a table-stakes requirement on campus, Nature’s Truth and Natural Vitality are targeting Gen Z’s other product-driven interests (supplements, sleep hacks and stress relief) and meeting them right where they are: on campus. The two brands are hitting the road with the “Take Your Vitamins” tour, bringing ashwagandha, melatonin and magnesium Calm samples, swag and influencer buzz to five universities this month.
