Sense of Belonging of Undergraduate Computing Students: A Comparative Analysis of University Entry Routes

Sense of Belonging (SoB) is an individual’s personal conviction as to their acceptance as a valued member of an academic community. The importance of SoB lies in correlations with motivation, persistence, and other outcomes. However, SoB is subject to variations influenced by factors such as race/ethnicity and gender. We examine the impact that entry route into university has on SoB by comparing that of students who entered our College of Science, including the School of Computer Science, via the traditional school leaving route or one of several alternative access routes.