The Benefits of SEL

Improved academic achievement

  • When students have supportive relationships and opportunities to develop social, emotional, and cognitive skills in a variety of contexts, their academic learning accelerates.  
  • Research involving over 1 million students worldwide from PreK to 12th grade consistently shows that social-emotional learning (SEL) positively influences academic achievement.  
  • Students engaged in SEL programs exhibit higher levels of “school functioning,” as demonstrated by improved grades, test scores, attendance, and homework completion.  
  • SEL fosters social and emotional skills that boost student engagement and contribute to better academic outcomes.  
  • SEL programs targeting the five core competencies led to an 11 percentile point increase in academic performance compared to students who did not participate.  
  • The academic benefits of SEL are long-lasting: years after participation, students who engaged in SEL scored an average of 13 percentile points higher than their peers who did not participate.

SEL promotes student well-being & creates safer schools

While SEL is not a replacement for mental health interventions for students who need them, it helps build key “protective factors”—such as caring relationships, safe environments, and social-emotional skills that can buffer against mental health challenges.

  • Participation in SEL programs is associated with reduced emotional distress, more positive self- and peer-relationships, and fewer behavioral issues and disciplinary problems.
  • SEL strengthens coping skills, resilience, and emotional awareness, helping to alleviate symptoms of depression and anxiety in the short term.
  • Students engaged in SEL report feeling safer, more supported, and experiencing stronger relationships with teachers, as well as a greater sense of belonging and inclusivity within their school community.
  • SEL also contributes to a reduction in bullying and aggressive behaviors.

SEL skills build future success

Students who participate in SEL programs consistently show improvement in social and emotional skills, and these enhanced skills are linked to positive long-term outcomes, even up to 18 years later. Students with stronger social and emotional competencies are more likely to achieve key milestones, including:

  • High school graduation  
  • Enrollment and completion of postsecondary education  
  • Stable, full-time employment

SEL benefits extend to adults

  • There is growing evidence that strengthening educators’ social and emotional competence can improve teacher well-being.
  • Educators with strong social and emotional skills report higher job satisfaction and lower levels of burnout.  
  • SEL helps teachers build stronger relationships with students and manage classrooms more effectively.  
  • Teachers who implement SEL in the classroom feel more effective in their roles and experience lower job-related anxiety.

SEL is a smart financial investment

  • Analysis of six evidence-based SEL programs shows that the benefits far exceed the costs, with every dollar invested in SEL yielding an estimated $11 return.

SEL works across diverse cultural contexts

  • SEL is consistently effective across a wide range of demographic groups, including different socioeconomic backgrounds, cultural contexts, and communities—whether urban, suburban, or rural, both in the U.S. and internationally.  However, SEL is not a “one-size-fits-all” solution. Its effectiveness is maximized when interventions are tailored to the specific cultural and contextual needs of the community.