Knowledge Generation

Rural Students' Fact Sheets

Basic Needs Insecurity

Students have higher rates of recent homelessness and are less confident in their ability to come up with funds to cover emergency expenses. Approximately 20% of students attending four-year public or private rural colleges and universities experience low or very low food security. Read more in our fact sheet. 

Demographics

College students attending four-year public or private colleges and universities who are rural home communities are more likely to be older, be married with dependents, be unmarried with dependents, or have earned a GED compared to students from city, suburb, or town home communities. Read more in our fact sheet. 

Family & Finances

College students attending four-year public or private colleges and universities who are rural home communities are more likely to be first-generation students, less likely to receive any support from their parents or guardians to pay for college, and more likely to receive less amounts of financial support from their parents or guardians to pay for college compared to students from city, suburb, or town home communities. Read more in our fact sheet.

Paid Internships

First-generation college students from rural communities often face challenges accessing paid internships, limiting their ability to gain critical work experience. However, students who participate in paid internships are more likely to secure full-time employment within 6 months of graduation and report higher job satisfaction. These internships provide financial support and help develop essential job-specific skills and professional networks. Expanding funding for paid internships and strengthening partnerships between educational institutions and employers is crucial to ensuring all students, regardless of background, can benefit from internship opportunities. Read more in our fact sheet. 

Career Services

Although career services are important for any college student, rural first-generation college students are less likely to use career services compared to continuing-generation students. We encourage career services offices on college campuses to extend additional outreach efforts to rural, first-generation students. Read more in our fact sheet. 

Publications

Soria, K. M., & Vakanski, S. E. (2024). Rural college students’ experiences during the pandemic: Implications for academic advisors. NACADA Journal, 44(2), 1–14. https://doi.org/10.12930/NACADA-23-30

Soria, K. M., & White, T. (2023). Mentorship and belonging among students of color at rural colleges and universities. In S. Ardoin, T. Hallmark, & D. Means (Eds.), Race and rurality: Considerations for advancing higher education equity (pp. 276–289). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003446620

Presentations

Rural College Students’ Experiences During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Presented at AERA 2024