The role of social capital in higher education: What variables of social capital have an impact on the successful completion of college for low-income students and students of color

This dissertation took the concept of social capital, which is usually associated with communities and countries and applied it to a group of 49 independent colleges and universities to see if the characteristics of social capital might offer insights into understanding why some students succeed in college more than others, and if, in fact this success is related to the sense of community present at a particular institution. The National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) survey, The College Student Report, was used as the scale by which to measure social capital. Thirty-eight questions from the survey were used. Collectively the questions were used to form a social capital index and they were also broken into seven groups, representing social capital variables. The seven social capital variables in this study were: (A) Satisfaction and Quality of Campus Relations, (B) Supportive Campus Environment, (C) Student/Faculty Interaction, (D) Diversity, (E) Personal and Social Gains, (F) Bridge-building, and (G) Involvement. The first five categories are groups also used by the NSSE Institute. The last two are this researcher's own. Each category was considered in relation to the graduation rates at the institutions (total, white, African American, and Hispanic), as well as the graduation rate gaps within these institutions.; Statistically, correlations and hierarchical linear regressions were used to test the four hypotheses. Two models were run. The research methodology offered a three-pronged approach at determining what role, if any, social capital at the 49 institutions in affecting the success of its students. Correlation tests let us see if there were any relationships between the seven social capital groups and the graduation rates. The regression analyses were run to determine if any of the social capital groups were predictors of graduation rates. And the calculation of a social capital index allowed us to observe the relationship of an institution's overall social capital and the graduation rates for its students.; Results include the following. Graduation rates and bridge building activities were positively correlated with every group of students. The institutions with higher social capital scores had higher graduation rates; the change being significant for African American students. Social capital was a predictor for African American student success.