Student Housing and Engagement in College: What Matters to Persistence

• In Event: Moscone Center North Roundtable Session 2
  In Roundtable Session: Housing, Rurality, Places, and Spaces in College Persistence

Abstract

Historically, research claimed that undergraduate students who lived on campus were more successful on academic and social measures when compared to their peers who lived off campus. However, more recent research finds mixed support for such claims, especially when examining diverse student populations. This study explores relationships among students’ places of residence, engagement, and persistence. With a comprehensive dataset of first-year and sophomore students from 75 institutions, we used multi-level structural equation modeling to examine the direct and indirect influences of students’ living arrangements on their probability to persist.

Authors

• Polly Graham, Indiana University - Bloomington

• Kevin Fosnacht, Indiana University

• Robert M. Gonyea, Indiana University - Bloomington

• Kyle T. Fassett, University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill