Undergraduates’ Campus Space Satisfaction and Sense of Belonging in China: From Exploratory Correlation Analysis to Design of Educational Environment

In university campus design, the relationship between spatial elements and students’ sense of belonging has attracted growing interest. However, existing research tends to examine isolated space types rather than the integrated psychological experience of the campus as a whole. To holistically understand how campus space influences belonging, it is essential to investigate how—and to what extent—campus spatial satisfaction shapes students’ sense of belonging. The prevalent semi-enclosed management model of most Chinese university campuses offers a distinct context for examining how satisfaction with functional spaces affects this sense of belonging. This study investigates the relationship between students’ satisfaction with functional spaces and their sense of campus belonging through a multidimensional evaluation framework and comparative quantitative analysis. The findings demonstrate that (1) campus belonging is influenced not by the simple accumulation of satisfaction with individual space types but by four underlying behavioral dimensions—diversity of extended activities, residential comfort, learning convenience, and transportation comfort—which collectively explain approximately 50% of the variance in belonging; (2) the overall campus spatial layout significantly moderates the satisfaction–belonging relationship, with integrated residential-activity configurations promoting spontaneous use and strengthening belonging; and (3) among personal attributes, behavioral factors such as internet usage and physical activity patterns exhibit stronger effects than demographic variables. These results highlight the importance of a holistic, behavior-oriented approach to campus planning to enhance students’ psychological adaptation and sense of belonging.