Date

9-17-2026

Department

School of Education

Degree

Doctor of Philosophy in Education (PhD)

Chair

Maryna Svirska-Otero

Keywords

first-year, first-generation, adaptation to college, social integration, academic adjustment, personal-emotional adjustment, social adjustment

Disciplines

Educational Leadership

Abstract

The purpose of this non-experimental, quantitative, causal-comparative study was to determine to what extent adaptation to college differs between Black and White first-year first-generation college students. The significance of this study lies in addressing limited literature examining the differences between Black and White first-year, first-generation students’ adaptation to college and offering insights that could be used as a basis to inform strategies for ensuring successful transition to and retention of these students in higher education. The sample included 149 participants aged 18-25 enrolled in an undergraduate four-year degree program at University A, located in South Georgia in the United States. Data collection was completed using the Student Adaptation to College Questionnaire administered electronically via an anonymous Qualtrics online survey distributed through an email invitation. The data were analyzed using a one-way multivariate analysis of variance to compare first-year, first-generation Black and White students’ adaptation to college. The results revealed no statistically significant difference in Black and White first-year, first-generation college students’ adaptation to college, based on three subscales: academic adjustment, social adjustment, and personal-emotional adjustment. The recommendations for future research include adopting a mixed-method design, broadening research scope to other institutions and student populations, implementing longitudinal research, conducting comparative research with continuing students, and exploring specific interventions important for first-year, first-generation students’ adaptation to college.

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