Satisfaction With College

Abstract

Satisfaction with college is an important component of various theories of college student retention and academic performance but empirical support for the relationship of satisfaction with college with these two criteria has been mixed. Using data from two large datasets (N = 34,047 and N = 35,503) from 300 institutions we examine whether satisfaction with college exhibits stronger relationships with retention intentions and academic performance when assessed using an inventory that acknowledges the likely multi-faceted structure of satisfaction with college. Results indicate that satisfaction with college is multi-faceted, exhibits a hierarchical structure, exhibits moderate to strong relationships with retention intentions, and relatively weak relationships with academic performance.