How college students understand American meritocracy: From initial beliefs to emerging meanings

Counseling psychologists call for continued research on fostering people's capacity to critically reflect on various societal narratives, such as meritocracy. The aim of the present study is to explore how college students understand American meritocracy. One-on-one interviews were conducted with a total of 31 college students (M_age = 20.58, SD = 1.23), representing diverse racial and social class backgrounds: 20 (64.5%) participants were students of color, 17 (54.8%) participants were first-generation college students, and 12 (38.7%) participants came from lower or working-class families. Findings from the reflective thematic analysis suggest three overarching themes: (a) inherited story of meritocracy, (b) emotional dissonance, and (c) seeking equilibrium. The findings are presented by juxtaposing two groups: those who self-identified as experiencing class marginalization (n = 18) and those who self-identified as possessing class privilege (n = 13). Although both groups show a similar thematic trajectory, the nuances differ. Within each group, participants' other identities are also highlighted. Our findings underscore the importance of facilitating college students' critical reflection on meritocracy and social class identities and of making these reflections and conversations a normal part of campus life as a means to support their development. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).