Measuring Race and Gender Differences in Undergraduate Students’ Perceptions of Campus Climate and Intentions to Leave College: An Analysis in Black and White

Abstract

Student perceptions of campus climate environments and intentions to leave college were examined for 391 participants. Differences by race were found for perceptions of the campus climate being cold and uncaring and for expectations to encounter racism in college. Perceptions of campus climate were related to African American students’ intent to leave college, whereas academic behaviors predicted White students’ intentions. Gender moderated the relationship between perceptions of class size and African American students’ intentions. Implications for future policy, practice, and research are discussed.