Students' sense of belonging as a predictor of self-perceived academic performance and employability: evidence from self-reported non-belonging across four European countries

Introduction Students' sense of belonging in higher education is closely linked to academic engagement, persistence, and well-being. However, less is known about how students' reported non-belonging relates to their perceptions of academic performance and employability. Methods This study examines these relationships across four Central and Eastern European countries (Croatia, Czech Republic, Hungary, and Poland), using microdata from 48,832 respondents participating in the EUROSTUDENT 8 survey. Guided by Tinto's integration theory, Bourdieu's concept of cultural capital, and human capital theory, we conducted country-specific multiple regression models to identify correlates of students' reported non-belonging and its associations with academic self-perception and labor market expectations. Results Students' orientation toward higher education and financial circumstances consistently predicted reported non-belonging, while perceptions of a positive learning environment were strongly associated with lower reported non-belonging and more favorable academic and employability assessments. Higher reported non-belonging was significantly associated with lower self-perceived academic performance in all countries and with lower perceived employability in most cases. Discussion These findings highlight the importance of institutional climates and pedagogical practices in shaping students' integration and confidence in their academic and professional trajectories. The results underline the need for targeted strategies to reduce students' experiences of non-belonging as a resource for academic success and career readiness in diverse European higher education systems.