We use survey data from three four-year campuses to explore the relationship between academic validation and student outcomes during students' first 3 years in college using structural equation modeling. We examine both a psychosocial outcome (mattering to campus) and an academic outcome (cumulative GPA). We find that both frequency of…

To date, most research on sense of belonging in higher education has relied upon between-person correlations (e.g., Murphy and Zirkel in Teach Coll Rec 117(12):1-40, 2015; Ostrove and Long in Rev High Educ 30(4):363-389, 2007). In the current study, first- and continuing-generation college students (N = 280) reported their sense of belonging and…

This paper develops a student relationship model which highlights the role of gratitude in impacting students' positive perceptions, attitudes, and behavioral intentions towards their higher education providers. Using theories from services marketing and positive psychology, we develop and test a gratitude relationship model. A field survey,…

In 2010, South Korea introduced a new student loan program that was income contingent (ICL). One of the main expected outcomes of the new loan program was to provide credit-constrained students the ability to focus on their college education rather than having to work while enrolled. To this end, this study investigates the effect of ICL on…

As policymakers along with students and families demand information related to the return on investment in postsecondary education, it is critical to empirically assess the relationship between enrollment in higher education and future earnings. Previous research into the impact of college attendance on future income mostly focuses on selective…

The Integrated Student Choice Model and Theory of Planned Behavior are used to frame an analysis of longitudinal student data. We utilize generalized structural equation modeling to evaluate our framework and to examine the impact of select student characteristics and college experiences on actual involvement in study abroad, giving particular…

Traditionally colleges have relied on standalone non-credit-bearing developmental education (DE) to support students academically and ensure readiness for college-level courses. As emerging evidence has raised concerns about the effectiveness of DE courses, colleges and states have been experimenting with approaches that place students into…

Most U.S. universities have made explicit commitments to educating economically diverse student bodies; however, the higher education system is highly stratified. In this paper, we seek to understand stratification in the wake of the Great Recession by examining enrollment among students from differing income backgrounds by institutional type. Two…

Recent research conducted at numerous universities has found evidence of instructor-gender differences in student evaluations of teaching (SET). This paper examines whether such gender effects exist in "instructor overall" ratings within a database of SET that includes almost 600,000 observations from the past 11 years for the Faculty of…

Despite the growing evidence of informational interventions on college and major choices, we know little about how such light-touch interventions affect the gender gap in STEM majors. Linking survey data to administrative records of Chinese college applicants, we conducted a large-scale randomized experiment to examine the STEM gender gap in the…

This paper analyzes whether and how attending an internship during tertiary education affects income. We address endogeneity with an IV approach that exploits information regarding whether the internship was a mandatory component of the study. We further address selection into programs with mandatory internship by using the share of mandatory…

Place-based scholarships within the College Promise movement reduce the cost of college for students in particular places and often include incentives for families to live in places for a longer period of time to capture full program benefits. This financial incentive may change the residential mobility decisions of people living in and around…

Using large-scale longitudinal data, this study sought to examine factors influencing two important student development outcomes in students with disabilities attending 4-year colleges and universities. Informed by Astin's Input-Environment-Outcome model and the interactional model of disability, this study investigated the effect of student…

Women drop out of male-dominated majors (MDMs) at a higher rate than men (Blickenstaff 2005). Research is needed to better understand contextual factors in the major, such as social interactions in major classes, that may increase women's engagement in MDMs and ultimately reduce attrition (Lawson et al. in Sex Roles 78:542-560, 2018). The present…

Integrative learning is the ability to connect, apply, and/or synthesize. A highly valued skill for the knowledge economy and combating false narratives, integrative learning represents the cognitive heart of the liberal arts, demonstrating students' ability to make interdisciplinary connections and apply their learning to their lives and the…