Socioeconomic Status During Upbringing and Academic Performance as a College Student
Presenter(s)
Erin Farina
Abstract
The purpose of this study is to see if childhood socioeconomic status (SES) can be used as a predictor for both objective and subjective academic performance in college. Recruited from the psychology pool of a Midwestern university, participants (N=296) completed an anonymous Qualtrics Survey consisting of researcher-developed questionnaires and adapted standardized measures. Participants answered questions about their access to resources growing up, provided information about their grades and study habits, and rated themselves on a scale regarding performance and effort put into schoolwork. Data were examined using linear regression analyses and independent t-tests to evaluate the relationship between childhood SES and college-aged academic performance. This study found that childhood SES is a predictor of academic performance in college. The implications of this study suggest that students from lower SES backgrounds may require additional support services in order to succeed at the rate in that their higher SES classmates do.
College
College of Liberal Arts
Department
Psychology
Campus
Winona
First Advisor/Mentor
Trisha Karr
Location
Oak Room E/F, Kryzsko Commons, Winona, Minnesota
Start Date
4-24-2025 2:20 PM
End Date
4-24-2025 2:40 PM
Presentation Type
Oral Presentation
Format of Presentation or Performance
In-Person
Socioeconomic Status During Upbringing and Academic Performance as a College Student
Oak Room E/F, Kryzsko Commons, Winona, Minnesota
The purpose of this study is to see if childhood socioeconomic status (SES) can be used as a predictor for both objective and subjective academic performance in college. Recruited from the psychology pool of a Midwestern university, participants (N=296) completed an anonymous Qualtrics Survey consisting of researcher-developed questionnaires and adapted standardized measures. Participants answered questions about their access to resources growing up, provided information about their grades and study habits, and rated themselves on a scale regarding performance and effort put into schoolwork. Data were examined using linear regression analyses and independent t-tests to evaluate the relationship between childhood SES and college-aged academic performance. This study found that childhood SES is a predictor of academic performance in college. The implications of this study suggest that students from lower SES backgrounds may require additional support services in order to succeed at the rate in that their higher SES classmates do.
