What is university success? Graduates with disabilities define it

Abstract

This article explores the concept of university success from the perspective of 95 Spanish graduates (62.1% women and 37.9% men) with different types of disabilities, identifying situations in which the participants felt that they were successful at university. The data of this qualitative study were gathered through a semi-structured interview and analyzed with an emerging and progressive system of categories and codes. According to the obtained results, university success is a dynamic and multidimensional concept that consists of different elements, and it is defined through eight components: graduating, attaining the set goal, learning process, social experience, personal growth, professional success, obtaining good marks, and recognition. These results must be considered by universities to promote success among students with disabilities, by fostering their participation in the university experiences and offering them opportunities to attain their academic and professional goals. Future research on university success must delve further into the concept of university success from a holistic perspective that contemplates all these elements.