10.1177/0739986305275097 Hispanic Journal of Behavioral Sciences Gloria et al. / Coping and W ell-Being of Latina Undergraduates Perceived Educational Barriers, Cultural Fit, Coping Responses, and Psychological Well-Being of Latina Undergraduates Alberta M. Gloria University of Wisconsin–Madison Jeanett Castellanos University of California–Irvine Veronica Orozco Ohio State University Given the unique educational experiences and disproportional representation of Latinas in higher education, this study examined how Latinas’perception of educational barriers and cultural fit influenced their coping responses and subsequent well-being in college. Participants (N = 98) were primarily second-generation Mexican-heritage women who were highly motivated to pursue advanced graduate training. Differences by generation and educational characteristics were not found. Cultural congruity and the coping response of taking a planned,positive action were the strongest predictors of psychologi- cal well-being accountingfor 31% of the variance. The study’s findings challenge stereo- types of Latina students in higher education, as they valued higher education, believed that they could overcome any barriers to achieve their educational goals, and used active coping responses, which informed their positive and healthy functioning. Keywords: Latina; undergraduates; coping responses Although Latina/os represent the largest ethnic minority group in the United States (32.8 million or approximately 12%; Pew Hispanic Center Fact Sheet, 2002; Therrien & Ramirez, 2000), they continue to be underrepre- sented in institutions of higher education (National Center for Education Sta- tistics [NCES], 2002). For the last 2 decades, nearly half of Latino students immediately enter college from high school (NCES, 1997), yet their enroll- ments are the lowest at research universities (NCES, 2000b). When exam- ined by ethnic group, individuals of Mexican descent have the lowest college completion rates, lagging far behind Puerto Ricans, Cubans, and South and Hispanic Journal of Behavioral Sciences, Vol. 27 No. 2, May 2005 161-183 DOI: 10.1177/0739986305275097 © 2005 Sage Publications 161