About 17% of college students take stimulants such as Ritalin and Adderall, primarily because they believe the drugs will help them improve their academic performance, according to a meta-analysis published in Clinical Child and Family Psychology Review.

The University of South Carolina researchers examined thirty studies in which abuse rates ranged from 8% to 43%. “Primarily, students misused the medications to improve academic performance, although the researchers found that nonusers appeared to perform better academically than users,” reported Medscape.

The students most often obtained the drugs from people who had prescriptions for them for managing ADHD.

ADHD Medication Misuse Rampant in College Students (Medscape, March 16, 2015)

Benson, Kari, Kate Flory, Kathryn L. Humphreys, and Steve S. Lee. “Misuse of Stimulant Medication Among College Students: A Comprehensive Review and Meta-Analysis.” Clinical Child and Family Psychology Review 18, no. 1 (January 10, 2015): 50–76. doi:10.1007/s10567-014-0177-z. (Abstract)