EIU Illinois Higher Education Center

Illinois Assessment of College Substance Use Behaviors (IACSUB) Survey

The first administration of the Illinois Assessment of College Substance Use Behaviors Survey was completed in 2024. Data was collected in-house, cleaned, and sent to participating schools in 2025. This new survey method was adapted from our Missouri colleagues, Missouri Partners in Prevention. Their original document, the Missouri Assessment of College Health Behaviors, or MACHB, was shared with our office to modify and create our new survey tool. The new method of administration keeps all of the work in-house, allowing for more collaborative work and data reporting for the state.

The Illinois Higher Education Center administers the biennial IACSUB survey, working directly with higher education institutions throughout the state. Throughout the recruitment period, institutions are asked to complete the pre-requisite information. This information may include Institutional Review Board (IRB) information, contact persons at their institution regarding survey results, and relevant administration details for their recruitment period.

This survey utilized is to determine the current incidence and prevalence of alcohol and other drug use on Illinois 2 and 4-year college campuses. Examples of assessment topics:

• students’ perception of others’ use; perceptions of risk related to use; beliefs regarding use; negative consequences associated with use; experiences of secondhand effects of others’ use; experiences of physical and sexual violence; and the relationship of alcohol and other drug use to campus climate issues 

All participating institutions will receive a copy of their raw data files, an executive summary and a copy of the state aggregate by the end of the fiscal year. Official briefs and publications are expected to be published the following fall/winter. 

FY26 Recruitment: Open until December 12th

FY24 Publications

Executive Summary: TBD, August 2025.

Research Briefs:TBD, August 2025.

• Brief 1: Prevalence of cannabis use (p-30 day, p-12 months)
• Brief 2: Prevalence of alcohol use (p-30 day, p-12 months)
• Brief 3: Retention & substance use trends
• Brief 4: Community belonging and substance use
• Brief 5: Mental health considerations with cannabis and alcohol use
• Brief 6: Locations of substance consumption & access to substances