Do students experience character growth during higher education? Evidence from a large, multi-institutional study

Decades of theoretical work in education research and developmental psychology suggest that students’ time in higher education is a critical period in their personal and moral development. Indeed, many institutions of higher education explicitly seek to promote students’ character growth. Yet empirical evidence regarding character growth during higher education remains limited. The present study ( N = 473,627 undergraduates at 414 United States colleges and universities) used mixed-effects models to examine students’ character growth across four years in higher education and to test whether such growth is moderated academic major, institutional characteristics, or students’ engagement in their campus communities. Results indicated that students do experience significant growth during their years in higher education. However, academic major and institutional type accounted for little variation. Instead, specific forms of community engagement, including participation in student organizations, mentorship and conversations about social and cultural issues, emerged as clear moderators. Alongside theoretical implications, the findings have practical significance. The factors that appear to play the largest roles in shaping students’ growth are precisely those that staff, faculty, and administrators can influence, for example by prioritizing mentorship and promoting organizational involvement and dialogue across differences.