Giving students reasons to feel they belong

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By Jean Rhodes

During major transitions, like starting college or a new job, many young people experience what Stanford psychologists Gregory Walton and Geoffrey Cohen have described as “belonging uncertainty.” They wonder if they’ll be accepted, valued, or ever fit in, and assume that others feel more certain. These feelings deepen when students encounter exclusion. In a recent study, researchers asked students of color about their campus experiences. Many described everyday exclusion, including being the last person chosen for a group project (Campbell et al., 2026). Think about what that communicates to a student already wondering whether they fit in.

Support from peers, staff, and teachers can help students feel they belong. A 2025 meta-analysis of 26 studies found that university belonging was associated with better academic outcomes and, more strongly, with well-being. The average correlations were .20 and .40, respectively (van Kessel et al., 2025).

So it makes sense to explore how colleges can make supportive connections more accessible. A recent study by my colleagues and me found associations between peer mentoring and incoming students’ sense of belonging, well-being, and grades.

Redd and Brauer (2026) examined survey data from 3 Wisconsin universities and found that students who perceived their peers as more inclusive reported a stronger sense of belonging. This association was stronger for students of color.

In an analysis of 309 student narratives, Pinto and colleagues (2024) found that orientation helped students make initial connections, but disappointment followed when expectations of lasting connection went unmet. Belonging requires opportunities to sustain those relationships.

Students also need opportunities to learn how to cultivate relationships themselves. In my earlier post on teaching students to build social capital, I described approaches that help students identify sources of support and develop the skills to reach out. Our randomized evaluation of Connected Scholars, led by Sarah Schwartz, found improvements in help-seeking and mentoring support (Schwartz et al., 2023). The skills involved in building a supportive network can be taught.

For a mentor, this might mean helping a student identify a professor they would like to know, practice a question for office hours, and follow up afterward. It also means recognizing support already available through family, friends, work, and community. The goal is a network that reflects the student’s interests and circumstances. Who can they turn to for a particular concern, and what would make approaching that person easier?

Responsibility for belonging also rests with institutions. A 2026 scoping review of 20 intervention studies called for attention to institutional conditions alongside students’ interpretations of their experiences (Allen et al., 2026). Colleges can build time for connection into courses and other activities students already attend, giving students more opportunities to develop the relationships that help them feel they belong.

 

References

Allen, K.-A., Pitzer, A.-L., Kuschel, S. G., Ma, L., Slaten, C. D., & Counted, V. (2026). A scoping review of social belonging interventions in higher education. Review of Educational Research. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.3102/00346543261438478

Campbell, M. R., Kennedy, K. R., Miller, A. L., & Brauer, M. (2026). A brief pro-diversity social marketing intervention improves grades and well-being of students from marginalized groups. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 52(2), 419-433. https://doi.org/10.1177/01461672241279082

Pinto, A. F., Mjøen, O. M., & Reed, N. P. (2024). Beyond the first week: Sustaining the feeling of social inclusion and sense of belonging for students. International Journal of Qualitative Studies on Health and Well-being, 19(1), Article 2421032. https://doi.org/10.1080/17482631.2024.2421032

Redd, K., & Brauer, M. (2026). Peer inclusion has a greater impact on belonging for students of color: Best practices for instructors and administrators. Frontiers in Education, 11, Article 1798600. https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2026.1798600

Schwartz, S., Parnes, M., Browne, R., Austin, L., Carreiro, M., Rhodes, J., Kupersmidt, J., & Kanchewa, S. (2023). Teaching to fish: Impacts of a social capital intervention for college students. American Educational Research Journal, 60(5), 986-1022. https://doi.org/10.3102/00028312231181096

van Kessel, G., Ryan, C., Paras, L., Johnson, N., Zariff, R. Z., & Stallman, H. M. (2025). Relationship between university belonging and student outcomes: A systematic review and meta-analysis. The Australian Educational Researcher, 52, 2511-2534. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13384-025-00822-8