--- title: Poll: Going to Top Schools Won't Make You Happier description: A Gallup poll found that the biggest factor in post-grad satisfaction was engagement in college — no matter whether you went to a state school or an Ivy league college canonical: https://time.com/89186/gallup-poll-college-happy/ author: Laura Stampler article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2014-05-06T13:43:28.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-10-01T08:53:00.238Z og:title: Study Says Going To A Prestigious College Won't Make You Happier In The Long Run og:description: A Gallup poll found that the biggest factor in post-grad satisfaction was engagement in college — no matter whether you went to a state school or an Ivy league college og:url: https://time.com/89186/gallup-poll-college-happy/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blta7ff27b19da19876/69868e11169ab0e0da2792af/169667949.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 3595 og:image:height: 2022 og:image:alt: Harvard University Commencement 2013 og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Study Says Going To A Prestigious College Won't Make You Happier In The Long Run twitter:description: A Gallup poll found that the biggest factor in post-grad satisfaction was engagement in college — no matter whether you went to a state school or an Ivy league college twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blta7ff27b19da19876/69868e11169ab0e0da2792af/169667949.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Going to a Top College Won't Make You Happier, Poll Says > Sponsored content. 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Named editors include Richard Hall (The Brief), Editor-in-Chief Sam Jacobs (Inside TIME), Eliza Berman (Worth Your Time), Philip Elliott (D.C. Brief), Justin Worland (Future Proof) and Harry Booth (In the Loop). Health Matters is written by TIME's health desk. #### How do I sign up for a TIME newsletter? Go to time.com/newsletters, choose the newsletters you want and enter your email address. There is no cost and no subscription requirement. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=d050fcdc-5770-409f-a61f-304465116f3d&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1) ## Video: College Choice Doesn’t Affect Happiness … But Don’t Slack Off! [Watch (HLS stream): College Choice Doesn’t Affect Happiness … But Don’t Slack Off!](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/oig4rJdD.m3u8) (1:51)  _Published 2014-05-06. According to a new Gallup poll, the Ivy League doesn’t always trump the small liberal arts college or the state party school. The poll indicated good professors and active engagement in extracurriculars had far more bearing on future happiness._ by [Laura Stampler](https://time.com/author/laura-stampler/) ## Laura Stampler May 6, 2014 1:43 PM UTC According to a new Gallup poll, the Ivy League doesn’t always trump the small liberal arts college or the state party school. The poll indicated good professors and active engagement in extracurriculars had far more bearing on future happiness. by [Laura Stampler](https://time.com/author/laura-stampler/) ## Laura Stampler May 6, 2014 1:43 PM UTC The agony of college applications is often endured because of a supposed light at the end of the tunnel: Entrance into a top school will ensure a life of happiness ahead. But [a new Gallup poll](http://www.gallup.com/poll/168848/life-college-matters-life-college.aspx) suggests that attending a prestigious college has almost nothing to do with a person’s happiness in work or life after graduation. Gallup paired up with researchers at Purdue University, Ind. to track the longterm well-being of over 29,560 college graduates of all ages who attended all types of higher learning institutions. According to the study, “The schools these college graduates attended—public or private, small or large, very selective or less selective—hardly matters at all to their workplace engagement and current well-being.” A total of 39% of college graduates said they were “engaged” at work and 5 out of 6 claimed to be thriving in at least one area of well-being, ranging from close relationships to physical health to financial security. But these statistics remained constant whether someone had attended a school at the very top or very bottom of the _U.S. News & World Report’s_ list of ranked colleges. In fact, people who attended schools with 10,000-plus students were found to be more satisfied. [Gallup’s Brandon Busteed told _NPR_, ](http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2014/05/06/308382912/poll-prestigious-colleges-wont-make-you-happier-in-life-or-work)“If you can go to Podunk U debt free vs. Harvard for $100,000, go to Podunk. And concentrate on what you do when you get there.” The most important factor for being happier later in life, the poll found, was being engaged throughout college through internships, relationships with professors, and extracurricular activities. ## Transcript [00:00] According to a new Gallup poll, the prestigious Ivy [00:03] League doesn't always trump the small liberal arts [00:05] college or the state party school. The type of schools [00:09] these college graduates attended, public or private, [00:11] small or large, very selective or less selective. Hardly [00:15] matters at all to their workplace engagement, and [00:18] current well- being. We're going streakin! Wait a [00:22] second, that does not mean let your 18 year old loose [00:25] at the number one party school in the country. As the [00:28] New York Times points out, measuring alumni [00:30] satisfaction is very different and much more difficult in [00:33] measuring something concrete like future income. In [00:36] taking a yardstick to someone's success, or quality or [00:39] life, how much can be attributed to one's alma mater, [00:42] versus someone's aptitude, intelligence and [00:45] doggedness? This gallop poll specifically dealt with two [00:48] factors it believes lead to a better quality of life. Being [00:51] engaged at work which it defines as deeply involved in, [00:54] enthusiastic about and committed to. As well as [00:57] thriving in all areas if well- being defined by a sense of [01:00] purpose, financial security, physical health, close [01:03] relationships, or community pride. It seems what [01:06] happens during college, no matter where it is or how [01:10] much it costs, have the profound effect parents and [01:13] students are looking for. For example, grads who [01:15] recalled having a professor who cared about them as a [01:18] person or made them excited about learning were [01:21] twice as likely to thrive in all aspects of well- being. [01:24] Being actively involved in extracurriculars and [01:26] organizations had the same effect on the odds of [01:29] being engaged at work. So when choosing between [01:32] this. And there is a problem, on the board right now. [01:35] [ MUSIC ] That took us more than two years to prove. [01:38] And this. You guys up for a toga party? Toga! Toga! [01:43] Pick the school with great teachers, work hard and sit [01:46] in the front. Just like your parents said in the first [01:48] place. 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