A Better Chicago Announces 2025 Youth Survey Results Revealing Mental Health Concerns, Deportation Fears, and more

CHICAGO (9/24/25) – A Better Chicago, the city’s only venture philanthropy focused on improving outcomes for youth experiencing poverty, announced the results of the organization’s 2025 Youth Survey and Focus Groups. Conducted from June to August in partnership with the Global Strategy Group (GSG), the citywide survey was complemented by in-depth focus groups at local nonprofits to capture the voices of youth ages 10–24. The findings reveal significant concerns among young Chicagoans around mental health, deportation fears, and more.

This marks the third year in a row A Better Chicago has partnered with GSG to survey hundreds of young people across the city in an effort to better understand their lived experiences, daily challenges, and hopes for the future.

Key findings include:

1. An overwhelming 95% of young Chicagoans say mental health is a serious issue with anxiety, depression, and stress topping the list as key factors. Black and Latinx youth, particularly girls, report the highest levels of concern.
2. Nearly one in four young people (22%) say they lack safe, welcoming spaces to gather. Youth living on the South and Southwest Sides of the city report the greatest need for more recreational spaces.
3. Consistent with last year’s findings, nearly two-thirds of Chicago youth (62%) report having witnessed community violence, with 23% witnessing violence weekly or more. Young people point to sports, a supportive school environment, community programs, and strong role models as key factors in helping them and their peers stay safe and out of harm’s way.
4. Over half (51%) of Latinx youth over the age of 15 say they worry a lot about a family member or friend being deported due to immigration status—showing the emotional toll deportation fears and immigration policy is having on families and communities.
5. Sports, clubs, and after-school programs help students feel and stay connected to their school environment. Nearly three-quarters (74%) say they have a trusted adult at school—most often a teacher.
6. While 92% of students feel prepared for college, only 44% say they feel “very prepared” for the real world. Youth are asking for more career-readiness and life skills training.
7. About one in three youth (32%) report frequently missing school—driven by mental health struggles, bullying, and disengagement. Latinx girls may be most at-risk for chronic absenteeism.
8. Youth who participate in community-based programs are more likely to feel prepared for life, pursue higher education, and feel optimistic about their futures. Nearly all (99%) who have participated in community programs report positive experiences.
9. Financial literacy, academic support, and peer mentoring top the list of desired programming. More than half of youth say schools aren’t teaching basic money management.
10. Virtually all (98%) young people remain hopeful and optimistic about their futures: 80% believe they can build a successful future, and optimism is even higher for those who participate in community programs.

“At A Better Chicago, we believe meaningful change starts with listening to the voices of young people. These findings demonstrate our youth are struggling with mental health issues, deportation fears, chronic absenteeism, and so much more,” said Beth Swanson, CEO of A Better Chicago. “Despite the challenges they face, they remain incredibly resilient and optimistic. Using this data, we must continue investing in what young people are telling us works: increased access to mental health supports, more community-based programs that prepare youth for real life, and safe spaces where they feel like they belong.”

Additional Findings

Mental Health

Mental health remains a critical and growing challenge for young people in Chicago, with 95% of youth saying it’s a problem for people their age. This is nearly identical to last year’s finding (94%), showing this critical issue remains just as important to address as ever. Concern is especially high among youth of color. Anxiety and depression top the list of issues facing young people, closely followed by stress, issues related to self-esteem/body image/hygiene, and drugs and alcohol. While more than half of Chicago youth have already sought mental health services, access remains an issue: among those who have not received support, 38% say they have wanted or needed mental health care. Those who have worked with school counselors for mental health support has increased by nearly 10% compared to last year (36% in 2025 versus 27% in 2024). Young female Chicagoans (or those identifying as females) across all racial groups report a stronger awareness of how life experiences affect their mental health. Among the most significant factors are early childhood abuse or trauma, loneliness or isolation, and bullying.

Safe Spaces to Gather

Chicago youth are calling for more spaces where they can gather with peers without safety concerns or financial burdens. Nearly one in four (22%) say there’s a need for more dedicated spaces where they feel comfortable and safe hanging out and being social with friends. This need is even more pronounced among Black youth (29%) and young people living on the South and Southwest sides of the city (28%). Parks and community centers remain popular among youth—nearly three-fourths (73%) report spending time in these types of spaces—but there’s a strong desire for more youth-centered environments that foster connection and belonging.

Deportation Fears

Fears related to immigration and deportation continue to impact many young Chicagoans, particularly those in the Latinx community. Over half (51%) of Latinx youth over the age of 15 say they worry a lot about a family member or friend being deported due to immigration status. Among all youth over 15, 43% say someone close to them has confided fears about deportation. This number is even higher among Latinx youth—58% report having had someone in their life share those concerns.

Education and Chronic Absenteeism

A large majority of students (92%) believe schools are preparing them for success in college, though fewer feel prepared for the real world. While 84% believe they are gaining the skills needed to succeed in the real world, only 44% say they feel very prepared. Among those who have not yet graduated high school, 82% plan to pursue post-secondary education, whether through universities, community colleges, certificate programs, or vocational schools.

Reflecting what we know to be true from the data, chronic absenteeism is a concern for young people in Chicago—32% of youth surveyed say they sometimes or often miss school, with Latinx females most at risk (39%). The most cited reasons for missing school include anxiety and depression, bullying, and drugs and alcohol, though many also attribute it to boredom. In focus groups, youth also cited lack of engagement, limited parental emphasis on attendance, poor transportation, and a lack of belonging as contributing factors. When asked why they do attend school, students point to enjoying learning, meaningful classroom lessons, and spending time with friends. In 2024, almost 41% of Chicago Public School students were chronically absent, defined as a student missing 10% (or more) of the school year.

Community Programs

Young people are eager for more access to community-based programs that help prepare them for the real world, build critical life skills, and connect them to opportunities and professional networks. Nearly all youth (99%) who have participated in community programs report enjoying their experience. A strong majority of Chicago youth (75%) say they participate in some form of community programming, with Black youth being the most active. Community program participants are also more likely to have a plan for education after high school (87%, compared to 70% among those not in programs). These programs are effectively filling gaps in social-emotional learning and real-world preparation, with 89% of youth saying programs have helped them feel ready for everyday challenges, and 88% feeling they have gained skills needed to succeed in the real world through participation.

There is a particularly strong demand for programs that teach financial literacy, help with college applications, and offer academic support. High rates (79%) of youth want more programs that help students secure scholarships, financial aid, and college access. Over half (52%) believe schools are not doing enough to teach essential financial skills like budgeting, saving, and investing. Peer support is also in high demand—78% of youth say they want more peer tutoring and mentoring opportunities.

Youth Opportunity Dashboard

The survey results released today, in conjunction with A Better Chicago’s data tool –the Youth Opportunity Dashboard (YOD) – paint a comprehensive picture of how youth around the city are faring. The YOD tracks data across Chicago’s 77 neighborhoods and measures 31 outcomes and milestones that span youth development.

Recommendations

Young Chicagoans are optimistic about the future, driven by supportive family networks, strong self-belief, and access to opportunities the city provides. However, persistent challenges like mental health struggles, chronic absenteeism, deportation fears, and community violence remain significant barriers. Addressing these issues is essential to ensuring that young people not only survive but thrive.

A Better Chicago’s key recommendations for strengthening support of Chicago’s youth include:

• Increased access to community-based programs, particularly ones that will prepare them for real life and connect them to opportunities, networks, financial literacy skills, and jobs
• In-school opportunities like sports, clubs, study groups and tutoring, particularly during the week after school, that keep them engaged and in school
• Access to reliable mental health services, especially in the form of school counselors, who understand their perspective and are accessible, trustworthy, and willing to listen
• Spaces that are built for them – safe, clean, and affordable (or free) recreational places for them to go and be themselves, outside of their home or school environments.

To learn more about the survey, conducted in partnership with the Global Strategy Group, view the Youth Survey Findings.

Founded in 2010, A Better Chicago was modeled after a venture capital fund with a mission of building a more equitable city by breaking the cycle of generational poverty. As of 2025, the organization has served over 140,000 students and deployed over $83 million to Chicago’s most promising youth-serving nonprofits.

To learn more about A Better Chicago, visit https://www.abetterchicago.org/

About A Better Chicago

A Better Chicago is a venture philanthropy that invests in the most promising nonprofits helping children escape poverty. We’re a supercharger. We have provided more than $83 million in unrestricted funding and management support to help the nonprofits in our portfolio grow. Our donors want to make pivotal, well-researched investments that lift the outlook for our city.

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