Subjective Social Class Identity and the College Student Experience: A Qualitative Examination of Poor, Working-Class, and Upper-Class Students Attending an Elite, Private Liberal Arts College for Women

To understand how subjective social class identity shapes the college student experience, this study examined qualitative data from 62 traditional-aged, domestic students from an elite women’s college in the Northeast. Thematic analysis revealed unique differences and similarities in experience shared among poor, working-class, and upper-class students.