{"id":31915,"date":"2025-11-25T18:31:23","date_gmt":"2025-11-25T18:31:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/?p=31915"},"modified":"2025-11-25T18:31:25","modified_gmt":"2025-11-25T18:31:25","slug":"college-students-with-strong-sense-of-belonging-more-likely-to-graduate-in-4-years","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/college-students-with-strong-sense-of-belonging-more-likely-to-graduate-in-4-years\/","title":{"rendered":"College Students With Strong Sense of Belonging More Likely to Graduate in 4 Years"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-group\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-uagb-blockquote uagb-block-e7eb3fc3 uagb-blockquote__skin-border uagb-blockquote__stack-img-none\"><blockquote class=\"uagb-blockquote\"><div class=\"uagb-blockquote__content\">A new study led by Wake Forest University reveals that college students with a strong sense of belonging are significantly more likely to graduate within four years. Discover the key findings and strategies to enhance student inclusion and success.<\/div><footer><div class=\"uagb-blockquote__author-wrap uagb-blockquote__author-at-left\"><\/div><\/footer><\/blockquote><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group is-content-justification-space-between is-nowrap is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-0dfbf163 wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\"><div style=\"font-size:16px;\" class=\"has-text-align-left wp-block-post-author\"><div class=\"wp-block-post-author__content\"><p class=\"wp-block-post-author__name\">The University Network<\/p><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-uagb-social-share uagb-social-share__outer-wrap uagb-social-share__layout-horizontal uagb-block-ee584a31\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-uagb-social-share-child uagb-ss-repeater uagb-ss__wrapper uagb-block-ec619ce7\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__link\" data-href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=\" tabindex=\"0\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"facebook\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__source-wrap\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__source-icon\"><svg xmlns=\"https:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox=\"0 0 512 512\"><path d=\"M504 256C504 119 393 8 256 8S8 119 8 256c0 123.8 90.69 226.4 209.3 245V327.7h-63V256h63v-54.64c0-62.15 37-96.48 93.67-96.48 27.14 0 55.52 4.84 55.52 4.84v61h-31.28c-30.8 0-40.41 19.12-40.41 38.73V256h68.78l-11 71.69h-57.78V501C413.3 482.4 504 379.8 504 256z\"><\/path><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-uagb-social-share-child uagb-ss-repeater uagb-ss__wrapper uagb-block-32d99934\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__link\" data-href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/share?url=\" tabindex=\"0\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"twitter\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__source-wrap\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__source-icon\"><svg xmlns=\"https:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox=\"0 0 512 512\"><path d=\"M389.2 48h70.6L305.6 224.2 487 464H345L233.7 318.6 106.5 464H35.8L200.7 275.5 26.8 48H172.4L272.9 180.9 389.2 48zM364.4 421.8h39.1L151.1 88h-42L364.4 421.8z\"><\/path><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-uagb-social-share-child uagb-ss-repeater uagb-ss__wrapper uagb-block-1d136f14\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__link\" data-href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/shareArticle?url=\" tabindex=\"0\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"linkedin\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__source-wrap\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__source-icon\"><svg xmlns=\"https:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox=\"0 0 448 512\"><path d=\"M416 32H31.9C14.3 32 0 46.5 0 64.3v383.4C0 465.5 14.3 480 31.9 480H416c17.6 0 32-14.5 32-32.3V64.3c0-17.8-14.4-32.3-32-32.3zM135.4 416H69V202.2h66.5V416zm-33.2-243c-21.3 0-38.5-17.3-38.5-38.5S80.9 96 102.2 96c21.2 0 38.5 17.3 38.5 38.5 0 21.3-17.2 38.5-38.5 38.5zm282.1 243h-66.4V312c0-24.8-.5-56.7-34.5-56.7-34.6 0-39.9 27-39.9 54.9V416h-66.4V202.2h63.7v29.2h.9c8.9-16.8 30.6-34.5 62.9-34.5 67.2 0 79.7 44.3 79.7 101.9V416z\"><\/path><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>A recent study led by Wake Forest University revealed that students who perceive a strong sense of belonging during their first year of college are substantially more likely to graduate within four years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The study found that a one-point increase on a five-point belonging scale corresponded to a 3.4 percentage-point boost in the likelihood of graduation within four years. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The research, <a href=\"https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/doi\/10.3102\/0013189X251393248\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">published<\/a> in the peer-reviewed journal Educational Researcher, is likely among the first to quantify the impact of belonging on degree attainment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWhen students feel a part of their institution\u2014supported by faculty, engaged in coursework and part of a broader community\u2014their college outcomes are different,\u201d first author Shannon Brady, a psychology professor at Wake Forest, said in a news release. \u201cThis connection between belonging and graduation highlights the importance of institutional efforts that help students feel academically and socially integrated\u2014not as a \u2018nice-to-have,\u2019 but as a key dimension of student success.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This study used data from over 21,000 undergraduate students enrolled in thousands of two- and four-year colleges across the United States. The students began their college journey in 2011-12, with their graduation outcomes measured in 2015 and 2017, four and six years later, respectively.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Students with a robust sense of belonging are not just more likely to graduate \u2014 they also tend to take advantage of resources and build relationships that bolster their academic performance and persistence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>However, Brady emphasizes that fostering this sense of belonging goes beyond creating fun experiences. It requires assuring students that they have the support, understanding and resources necessary to overcome academic challenges and succeed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The impetus behind the research stems from the widely recognized benefits of college degree attainment, which include better employment prospects, improved well-being and increased community engagement. The significant results from this study underscore the need for institutions to focus on creating an inclusive environment where all students feel they belong.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cYou might think that students come into first year and either feel that sense of belonging or they don\u2019t, and then it\u2019s set,\u201d added Brady. \u201cBut our data are suggesting that how things fluctuate over time also matters for students.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Recommendations for institutions seeking to boost students\u2019 sense of belonging \u2014 and, thereby, their graduation rates \u2014 include building an inclusive culture rather than implementing isolated programs. According to Brady, it involves identifying and removing structural and psychological barriers that prevent students from feeling included.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In <a href=\"https:\/\/www.science.org\/doi\/10.1126\/science.ade4420\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">prior research<\/a>, Brady and her team found that brief online interventions that normalized worries about belonging and projected positive growth trajectories helped more students complete their first year of college. However, these interventions were only effective when students had tangible opportunities to feel they belonged.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Brady also highlighted New York\u2019s acclaimed Accelerated Study in Associate Programs (ASAP), which improves graduation rates by addressing everyday barriers such as transportation costs, scheduling conflicts and limited advising, thereby enhancing students&#8217; sense of belonging.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s wild that we are the first ones to be able to do this, but the data just haven\u2019t existed,\u201d Brady added.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Brady and her co-author, Maithreyi Gopalan of the University of Oregon, suggest that a standardized, multi-item belonging tool should be developed and widely implemented. This would allow universities to better understand the dynamics of belonging and its influence on various aspects of the college experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:12px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Source:<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/news.wfu.edu\/2025\/11\/24\/when-students-belong-theyre-more-likely-to-earn-a-degree\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">Wake Forest University<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A recent study led by Wake Forest University revealed that students who perceive a strong sense of belonging during their first year of college are substantially more likely to graduate within four years. The study found that a one-point increase on a five-point belonging scale corresponded to a 3.4 percentage-point boost in the likelihood of [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"single-no-separators","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[18,14],"tags":[139,517],"class_list":["post-31915","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-education","category-student-success","tag-university-of-oregon","tag-wake-forest-university"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":false,"thumbnail":false,"medium":false,"medium_large":false,"large":false,"1536x1536":false,"2048x2048":false},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"The University Network","author_link":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/author\/funky_junkie\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"A recent study led by Wake Forest University revealed that students who perceive a strong sense of belonging during their first year of college are substantially more likely to graduate within four years. The study found that a one-point increase on a five-point belonging scale corresponded to a 3.4 percentage-point boost in the likelihood of&hellip;","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31915","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=31915"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31915\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":31926,"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31915\/revisions\/31926"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=31915"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=31915"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=31915"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}