Analyzing the Impact of Educational Experiences on Local Settlement Intentions among Students at Regional Universities

ABSTRACT

[Objective] The purpose of this study is to examine the impact of educational experiences of students at regional universities on their intention to settle in the local community, and to explore the potential contributions of higher education to local development, thereby providing insights into ways of enhancing students’ willingness to remain in the region.[Contents] To accomplish this, the study empirically analyzed how educational experiences affect students’ local settlement intentions, focusing on students enrolled at regional universities. Data were drawn from the Student Satisfaction Survey, the Korean National Survey of Student Engagement(K-NSSE), and the Regional Engagement Survey to examine differences by settlement intention level and correlations among key variables.[Conclusions] As a result, students with higher levels of local settlement intention reported significantly greater satisfaction in areas such as major and general education, learning environment, and regional engagement. Regional identity factors—such as willingness to settle, regional commitment, and understanding of the local community—showed particularly strong associations with educational experiences. Correlation analysis further revealed that regional engagement was positively linked to academic challenge, faculty interaction, campus environment, and student outcomes (R = .454–.553), suggesting that it is an integral part of student learning and satisfaction, not merely an external activity.