Although it seems intuitively obvious that the happy student will be a more productive student empirical tests of that assumption are curiously sparse. We tested a model that included satisfaction with various life domains, overall life satisfaction, cumulative college GPA, and ratings on an assessment center exercise. Results indicated that overall life satisfaction was a significant predictor of both GPA and assessment center ratings, even with traditional academic achievement predictors controlled (e.g., cognitive aptitude, gender). We discuss implications of the results for future research and educational practice.