SynthesisFrontiers in psychology2026
Sense of belonging and academic outcomes among postsecondary students: a meta-analysis.
Synthesis in Frontiers in psychology, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
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Authors and funding
4 authors.
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Abstract
Introduction: Sense of belonging is widely regarded as an important contributor to student success, yet its associations with academic outcomes in postsecondary education remain unclear. Methods: This meta-analysis synthesized evidence from 83 correlational studies published in peer-reviewed journals up to October 5, 2025, identified through Web of Science, ERIC, and Academic Search Complete. Random-effects models were used to estimate the associations between students' sense of belonging and multiple academic outcomes. Subgroup analyses were conducted to examine variation across student characteristics, program duration, and measurement tools. Results: The results showed moderate positive correlations between school belonging and academic motivation, academic interest, and academic self-efficacy ( Discussion: The findings suggest that sense of belonging functions primarily as a motivational and psychosocial resource in postsecondary education, with stronger links to students' motivation, confidence, and engagement than to direct indicators of academic performance. These results provide evidence for the importance of fostering belonging to support student success and retention in higher education. Systematic review registration: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/view/CRD42025638811, identifier CRD42025638811.
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