Rural student experiences in higher education

Abstract

As a small, but growing, population in higher education in the United States, rural students have historically been understudied. Rural students deserve to have their unique experiences acknowledged and supported on their college and university campuses, and in recent years, an increasing number of scholars have begun to fill this gap in the research. This chapter examines this emerging body of literature and how the patterns that are already evident reveal the connections between characteristics of rural communities and rural student transitions and on-campus experiences. As with many student populations, rural students enter higher education with strengths that should be honored but also unique challenges to navigate. Understanding these strengths and challenges and the ways they are rooted in the rurality of this group of students can help stakeholders in higher education be more proactive and effective in serving them.