Rural Compared to Urban Home Community Settings as Predictors of First-Year Students’ Adjustment to University

Undergraduates (N = 2,823) at 6 universities were surveyed longitudinally to examine the relevance of student home setting on the transition to university. Preliminary results indicated that rural students seem less likely to attend large, ethnically diverse universities. Hierarchical linear models revealed that “proximal rural” students reported better social adjustment than did urban students in November; however, this relationship was accounted for by living in residence. Similar results were found in March but not mediated by residence. Proximal rural students also reported greater institutional attachment than did urban students in November. The findings highlight important research issues pertaining to students’ adjustment to university.