Vol.:(0123456789) SN Soc Sci (2021) 1:57 https://doi.org/10.1007/s43545-021-00063-3 ORIGINAL PAPER Sense of community on collegiate campus and graduation expectations: an exploratory study Michael R. Cope 1  · Jorden E. Jackson 2  · Kayci M. Muirbrook 1  · Carol Ward 1  · Paige N. Park 1  · Genevieve M. Smith 1 Received: 22 May 2020 / Accepted: 13 January 2021 / Published online: 15 February 2021 © The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Switzerland AG part of Springer Nature 2021 Abstract Researchers have identifed several factors that infuence the academic success of college students, including, for example, personality traits, high-school academic achievement, and social class before entering college. In this case study, we contrib- ute to this growing body of literature by analyzing the infuence of sense of com- munity (SOC) on student success, measured by student expectations that they will successfully graduate from their university. After surveying a sample of students at a private college in Provo, UT, USA, we found a positive correlation between SOC and graduation expectations, although our results varied between class standings. While senior students had the lowest levels of SOC compared to freshmen, they also had the highest indication that they expect to graduate. Freshmen and junior stu- dents, on the other hand, had the highest SOC compared to senior students but the lowest indication that they expect to graduate. Due to the association between SOC and graduation expectations, we argue that universities can help frst- and second- year students feel more confdent that they will graduate through initiatives that strengthen their sense of community. Keywords Student success · Graduation · Retention · Sense of community · University experience Introduction College campuses have long been a useful setting to study sense of community (SOC) because of the students’ “mental unity” and the shared traditions, goals, and values inherent in university life (e.g., Agnell 1928, p. 1). While ideally a univer- sity encourages a strong sense of community, the reality is that some students do not feel as connected to the community as others (Shouse 1996; Jacobs and Archie * Michael R. Cope michaelrcope@byu.edu Extended author information available on the last page of the article