Do First-Year Students of Different Backgrounds Feel They Belong?

Most first-year students feel comfortable being themselves, feel valued, and feel part of the community at their institution (Figure 1), but we found notable differences between subpopulations. For example, international students feel less comfortable being themselves than domestic students (d = .1, p < .001) as do students identifying as American Indian, Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander relative to their peers (d = .2, p < .001). Students identifying as bisexual, gay, lesbian, queer, or another sexual minority (LGBQ+) feel less valued and less part of the community at their institution than their straight peers (d = .2, p < .001). 

For some types of students, such as those identifying with nonbinary gender identities, these differences are reflected in all three belonging measures (Figure 2). These students consistently express a lower sense of belonging than their cisgender peers. Similarly, students with a diagnosed disability or impairment feel less comfortable being themselves, less valued by their institution, and less like part of their institution’s community (d = .1, p < .001). To see findings and comparisons for other subgroups of students see our Tableau dashboard.