College environments and student academic achievement

In this study, selected aspects of the college environment were related to student academic achievement at 27 small liberal arts colleges. The colleges' social and academic environment were assessed through students' perceptions and included five scales describing the extent of faculty-student interactions, student activism, curriculum flexibility, academic challenge, and the colleges' cultural facilities. Results suggest that certain student-described college environmental features are related to academic achievement, although replication with another group of colleges would be desirable.