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College students’ satisfaction and sense of belonging: differences between underrepresented groups and the majority groups

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Abstract

Student satisfaction and sense of belonging are key to student retention and success. This study investigated undergraduate students’ satisfaction and sense of belonging based on a survey of 2791 students from one predominantly white institution in the southeast United States. The results revealed that students were overall satisfied and felt they belonged to the campus community. Students in the underrepresented groups (i.e., non-White, non-heterosexual, and non-Christian) reported significantly less satisfaction and a weaker sense of belonging than those in the majority groups. Seniors reported significantly less satisfaction than freshmen and sophomore. Students with a conservative political view reported significantly more satisfaction than those with a moderate or liberal political view. In addition, students’ sense of belonging as well as their ethnicity/race, sexual orientation, religious belief, political view, and student rank significantly predicted their satisfaction, and about 34% of the variation in students’ satisfaction could be explained by these variables. The findings can inform policy making, funding navigation, and intervention programs in higher education, and higher education institutions should commit to equality, diversity, and inclusion in promoting student satisfaction and success.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Educational Studies, University of South Carolina, 004 Wardlaw, Columbia, SC, 29208, USA

    Xumei Fan

  2. Department of Anthropology, University of South Carolina, 421 Gambrell Hall, Columbia, SC, 29208, USA

    Kathryn Luchok

  3. Office of Diversity and Inclusion, University of South Carolina, 102 Osborne Administration Building, Columbia, SC, 29208, USA

    John Dozier

  4. Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, 4-205, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA

    John Dozier

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  1. Xumei Fan
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  2. Kathryn Luchok
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Correspondence to Xumei Fan.

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Fan, X., Luchok, K. & Dozier, J. College students’ satisfaction and sense of belonging: differences between underrepresented groups and the majority groups. SN Soc Sci 1, 22 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s43545-020-00026-0

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