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College Students' Sense of Belonging: A Graduation Update

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Title: College Students' Sense of Belonging: A Graduation Update
Language: English
Authors: Shannon T. Brady (ORCID 0000-0003-3975-3301), Maithreyi Gopalan (ORCID 0000-0002-1013-0672)
Source: Educational Researcher. 2026 55(2):142-145.
Availability: SAGE Publications. 2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320. Tel: 800-818-7243; Tel: 805-499-9774; Fax: 800-583-2665; e-mail: journals@sagepub.com; Web site: https://sagepub.com
Peer Reviewed: Y
Page Count: 4
Publication Date: 2026
Sponsoring Agency: Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) (DHHS/NIH)
National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) (ED/IES)
Contract Number: P2CHD041025
Document Type: Journal Articles
Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education
Postsecondary Education
Descriptors: Sense of Belonging, Undergraduate Students, College Freshmen, Educational Attainment, Academic Degrees, Certification, Student Characteristics, Time to Degree, Institutional Characteristics
Assessment and Survey Identifiers: Beginning Postsecondary Students Longitudinal Study
DOI: 10.3102/0013189X251393248
ISSN: 0013-189X
1935-102X
Abstract: Despite considerable and growing interest in college students' sense of belonging, its relationship with postsecondary credential attainment remains poorly understood. Here, in a nationally representative sample of U.S. undergraduates who matriculated in 2011-2012 (N = 21,700), first-year belonging was longitudinally associated with attainment: a 1-point increase on the 5-point scale corresponded to a 3.4 percentage-point increase in 4-year attainment and a 2.7 percentage-point increase in 6-year attainment. These descriptive findings offer large-scale evidence linking college students' belonging to their receipt of a degree and underscore the continued need to foster students' belonging and measure it well.
Abstractor: As Provided
Notes: https://osf.io/zk5b7
IES Funded: Yes
Entry Date: 2026
Accession Number: EJ1499425
Database: ERIC
FullText Text:
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PubType: Academic Journal
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  Data: College Students' Sense of Belonging: A Graduation Update
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Shannon+T%2E+Brady%22">Shannon T. Brady</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3975-3301">0000-0003-3975-3301</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Maithreyi+Gopalan%22">Maithreyi Gopalan</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1013-0672">0000-0002-1013-0672</externalLink>)
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="SO" term="%22Educational+Researcher%22"><i>Educational Researcher</i></searchLink>. 2026 55(2):142-145.
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  Data: SAGE Publications. 2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320. Tel: 800-818-7243; Tel: 805-499-9774; Fax: 800-583-2665; e-mail: journals@sagepub.com; Web site: https://sagepub.com
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  Data: 4
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  Data: 2026
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  Data: Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) (DHHS/NIH)<br />National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) (ED/IES)
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  Data: 10.3102/0013189X251393248
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  Data: 0013-189X<br />1935-102X
– Name: Abstract
  Label: Abstract
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  Data: Despite considerable and growing interest in college students' sense of belonging, its relationship with postsecondary credential attainment remains poorly understood. Here, in a nationally representative sample of U.S. undergraduates who matriculated in 2011-2012 (N = 21,700), first-year belonging was longitudinally associated with attainment: a 1-point increase on the 5-point scale corresponded to a 3.4 percentage-point increase in 4-year attainment and a 2.7 percentage-point increase in 6-year attainment. These descriptive findings offer large-scale evidence linking college students' belonging to their receipt of a degree and underscore the continued need to foster students' belonging and measure it well.
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  Data: https://osf.io/zk5b7
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  Data: 2026
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  Data: EJ1499425
PLink https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=eric&AN=EJ1499425
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        Value: 10.3102/0013189X251393248
    Languages:
      – Text: English
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      Pagination:
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        StartPage: 142
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      – SubjectFull: Undergraduate Students
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      – SubjectFull: College Freshmen
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      – SubjectFull: Educational Attainment
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      – SubjectFull: Certification
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      – SubjectFull: Student Characteristics
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      – SubjectFull: Institutional Characteristics
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