Subjective Social Status and Academic Adjustment of Freshmen College Students in a Private Higher Education Institution (PHEI)

Students transition to higher education with varying perceptions of their social status, which may be associated with how they experience and respond to academic demands. Examining these perceptions may provide further insight into their academic adjustment. This study therefore investigated the relationship between Subjective Social Status, in terms of socioeconomic status and community social status, and academic adjustment among 124 freshmen college students at the University of Luzon, a Private Higher Education Institution (PHEI) in Dagupan City, Philippines. A quantitative descriptive-correlational research design was employed, with data collected through the MacArthur Scale of Subjective Social Status and the Academic Adjustment Scale. Descriptive statistics and Pearson's product-moment correlation were used to analyze the data. Results indicated moderate levels of perceived socioeconomic status (M = 6.09, SD = 1.45) and community social status (M = 6.12, SD = 1.50). Overall academic adjustment was high (M = 3.50, SD = 0.48), with academic motivation obtaining the highest mean (M = 3.96, SD = 0.82), followed by academic achievement (M = 3.41, SD = 0.67) and academic lifestyle (M = 3.15, SD = 0.56). A significant moderate positive relationship was found between subjective socioeconomic status and academic adjustment (r = .33, p < .001), whereas community social status showed no statistically significant association (r = .17, p = .059). This suggests that freshmen who perceive their families to have higher socioeconomic standing relative to the national ladder tend to report better academic adjustment, while immediate community social standing showed no significant association. Findings may inform institutional initiatives including time-management and routine-building workshops, as well as institutional financial advising and peer-mentorship programs.