Students who pursue postsecondary education are likely to do so in part because of expectations about what benefits a degree will bring to their lives. A wide range of institutional characteristics, such as financial resources, high quality teaching, and effective advising opportunities, shape the postsecondary outcomes of students. These characteristics matter, in part, because they influence how students experience their time in college. The scientific study of this subjective experience of college students demonstrates important psychological factors that affect their outcomes and can be divided into three categories: (1) students' beliefs about themselves; (2) their beliefs about school tasks; and (3) their beliefs about structures and society. These factors are summarized in this report.