Trust in higher education

Referring to a system theoretical framework and utilising a mixed-methods approach, combining quantitative data from surveys (n = 193) and qualitative insights from interviews (n = 4), this study investigates the concept of trust in higher education among Danish humanities and social science students. The study identifies three distinct dimensions of educational trust: trust in institutional performance, trust in institutional values/symbols, and trust in fellow students. The study uses cluster analysis to investigate if students within the same university seem to agree on trust or if there are different student groups with varied trust profiles across the three trust dimensions. This analysis reveals four student groups with varying trust levels. We nuance our quantitative findings based on interviews with students who have varied trust profiles in the quantitative study. The interviews illustrate the diverse experiences and perceptions of trust and its antecedents among students, thus highlighting the complexity of trust dynamics in educational settings.