The Relevance of Social Comparison to Academic Self-Concept for Undergraduates at Hispanic Majority Institutions

Hispanic majority institutions have over 50% Hispanic student enrollment. We examined how social comparison may affect academic self-concept in this unique higher education landscape. We found that students who compare themselves to others who are worse off tend to experience a greater sense of academic self-concept in three domains than when they compare themselves to others who are better off. These findings have implications for improving academic success for students attending these emerging institutions.