Stratification and Academic Experiences of First-Generation Learners in Indian Higher Education: A Thematic Review

Abstract

Despite estimates that First-Generation College Learners (FGCLs) constitute approximately half of India's higher education students, systematic research remains limited. This thematic review synthesizes 14 Indian studies (2017–2025) using a stratification framework distinguishing four vertical clusters (capital deficits, preparation gaps, geographic and structural barriers, peer and social influences) and four horizontal clusters (academic integration, social integration, contextual constraints, aspirational and career factors). Findings reveal first-generation status as a layered condition shaped by capital deficits, weak preparation, geographic marginalization, and limited guidance. FGCLs navigate campus cultures reproducing caste, class, and regional hierarchies while managing economic precarity. Targeted scholarships and comprehensive institutional support demonstrate capacity to improve outcomes, though research remains geographically concentrated and focused on marginalized populations. The review emphasizes how distinctive Indian contexts, caste hierarchies, occupational stigma, linguistic barriers, require context-specific analytical approaches rather than imported frameworks. Findings underscore the need for institutions and policymakers to recognize FGCLs as a distinct cohort requiring targeted support beyond access expansion.