Psychological Sense of University Belonging and Intent to Stay Enrolled: Is there an Association?

Abstract: A growing body of research highlights students’ psychological sense of belonging as a critical factor in persistence in higher education. Grounded in Strayhorn’s belonging framework and Tinto’s institutional integration model, belonging is theorized as a proximal psychological mechanism influencing students’ decisions to remain enrolled. This quantitative, cross-sectional correlational study examined whether sense of belonging is associated with intent to stay and the extent to which belonging predicts retention intent among undergraduate students. Data were collected from 200 students enrolled at accredited U.S. universities using Strayhorn’s College Students’ Sense of Belonging Scale (α = .89) and an adapted Institutional Commitment/Intent to Stay Scale (α = .84). Pearson correlation analysis revealed a strong positive association between belonging and intent to stay (r = .67, p < .001). Simple linear regression indicated that sense of belonging was a significant predictor of intent to stay (B = 0.67, p < .001), accounting for 44.8% of the variance in retention intent (R² = .448). These findings provide empirical support for belonging as a key psychological determinant of students’ persistence intentions and extend existing theoretical models by validating belonging as a measurable predictor of retention-related outcomes. Practically, the results highlights the need for higher education institutions to prioritize belonging-centered strategies, including inclusive learning environments, supportive faculty–student relationships, and structured peer engagement, as part of comprehensive retention and student success initiatives. Keywords: Psychological sense of belonging, Intent to stay enrolled, Student retention, Higher education retention, Faculty support, First-generation students. Title: Psychological Sense of University Belonging and Intent to Stay Enrolled: Is there an Association? Author: Dr. David Augustine Bull International Journal of Interdisciplinary Research and Innovations ISSN 2348-1218 (print), ISSN 2348-1226 (online) Vol. 14, Issue 1, January 2026 - March 2026 Page No: 23-38 Research Publish Journals Website: www.researchpublish.com Published Date: 12-January-2026 DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.18219211 Paper Download Link (Source) https://www.researchpublish.com/papers/psychological-sense-of-university-belonging-and-intent-to-stay-enrolled-is-there-an-association