Meaningful University Context, Sense of Belonging, Student Engagement, and Psychological Well-Being: A Structural Equation Modeling Study Among Chinese University Students

Meaningful university environments may support student functioning because students internalize contextual cues as psychological belonging, which in turn supports academic engagement and well-being. Guided by belongingness theory, self-determination theory, and ecological/person-environment fit perspectives, this study tested a structural model linking meaningful university context to sense of belonging, student engagement, and psychological well-being. A cross-sectional anonymous survey was conducted with 347 full-time undergraduate and postgraduate students at a large comprehensive university in eastern China in 2025. Meaningful university context was modeled as a higher-order latent construct indicated by institutional support, perceived equity, and inclusive campus climate. Structural equation modeling and bias-corrected bootstrap analyses were used to test direct and indirect pathways. The final model showed acceptable fit (χ²/df = 2.087, CFI = .932, TLI = .925, RMSEA = .056, SRMR = .049). Meaningful university context predicted sense of belonging (β = .61, p < .001), student engagement (β = .29, p < .001), and psychological well-being (β = .35, p < .001). Sense of belonging predicted engagement (β = .44, p < .001) and well-being (β = .49, p < .001), and partially mediated the effects of context on both outcomes. Findings identify belonging as a key psychological pathway through which supportive, fair, and inclusive university contexts are associated with Chinese students' engagement and university-related well-being.