Academic achievement in high school: does emotional intelligence matter?

The relationship between emotional intelligence and academic achievement in high school was examined. Students (N=667) attending a high school in Huntsville, Alabama completed the Emotional Quotient Inventory (EQ-i:YV). At the end of the academic year the EQ-i:YV data was matched with students’ academic records for the year. When EQ-i:YV variables were compared in groups who had achieved very different levels of academic success (highly successful students, moderately successful, and less successful based on grade-point-average for the year), academic success was strongly associated with several dimensions of emotional intelligence. Results are discussed in the context of the importance of emotional and social competency on academic achievement.