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Does procrastination hurt your grades?

Short answer: Yes, a little on average. A meta-analysis of 33 studies with about 38,500 participants found a small negative link between procrastination and academic performance (r = -0.13). In an earlier semester-long study, students who procrastinated got lower grades on all of their assignments.[1][2]

By Seth Richardson, Founder of ProcrastiGauge · Last reviewed 24 October 2026 · Based on published research (sources below)

Key facts

  • Meta-analysis: 33 studies, about 38,500 participants
  • Average link with performance: small and negative (r = -0.13)
  • Semester study: procrastinators got lower grades on all assignments

The details

The link is small on average, which means some procrastinators still do well. But it is consistent across studies, and the semester-long study found the costs added up: lower marks, and more stress and illness by the end of term.

Grades are also affected by many other things, such as ability, sleep and workload, which is one reason the average effect is modest.

The practical fix is to start earlier on the work that counts most. A nightly ProcrastiGauge check-in asks you to name tomorrow's most important task and plan the first step, so the big assignment gets started before the deadline rush.

Limits of the evidence. These studies are correlational: they show that procrastination and lower grades go together, not that procrastination alone causes them.
How ProcrastiGauge helps. ProcrastiGauge asks you to pick your most important task each day and plan when you will start it, and it tracks how often you actually start on time. Try ProcrastiGauge free for 7 days.

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Related questions

Sources

  1. Kim, K. R., & Seo, E. H. (2015). The relationship between procrastination and academic performance: A meta-analysis. Personality and Individual Differences, 82, 26-33. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2015.02.038Meta-analysis of 33 studies (about 38,500 participants).
  2. Tice, D. M., & Baumeister, R. F. (1997). Longitudinal study of procrastination, performance, stress, and health: The costs and benefits of dawdling. Psychological Science, 8(6), 454-458. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9280.1997.tb00460.xTwo longitudinal studies of university students over a semester.