Assessing Rural Education Assets and Strengths (AREAS)
The Assessing Rural Education Assets and Strengths (AREAS) Consortium of rural colleges and universities investigates the programs, policies, and practices that improve rural college students’ outcomes in higher education and facilitate rural college students’ successful transitions to the workforce. We center the experiences of rural college students through collaboration, advocacy, and knowledge generation.
In Spring 2025, we initiated a large, multi-institutional survey to collect data on college students' experiences and outcomes. The research questions framing this project are as follows:
- What are the effects of institutional programs and practices on low-income rural college students’ academic outcomes (e.g., retention and degree completion)?
- What are the effects of institutional programs and practices on low-income rural college students’ psychosocial outcomes (e.g., sense of belonging, psychological wellbeing, perceptions of campus climate)?
- What are the effects of institutional programs and practices on low-income rural college students’ workforce-related outcomes (e.g., career decision-making efficacy, employment status, preparedness)?
View the study's conceptual framework, the survey instrument, and Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval for the study.
The AREAS Consortium is based at the 国产91av and funded by the Ascendium Education Group in partnership with the American Institutes for Research.
