Higher Education Research Studies

Higher education research examines what shapes whether students succeed, persist, and find a sense of belonging once they enter college — from how faculty design courses to how financial pressures, campus culture, and social networks interact over time. Particular attention has turned to students who navigate the transition to university without the benefit of family experience in higher education, since first-generation students often face compounding disadvantages that standard institutional supports were not built to address. Researchers are actively working to understand why gaps in retention and academic performance persist along lines of race, income, and background even when students gain admission, and whether interventions like peer mentoring, targeted advising, or revised financial aid structures can close those gaps in lasting ways.

Works

106,713

Total citations

1,071,506

Keywords

Student EngagementAcademic PerformanceCollege RetentionSocial SupportDiversityFirst-Generation Students