Studies have shown that mentorship improves academic engagement, persistence, confidence, and long-term achievement among young people.

A meta-analysis of 70 youth mentoring studies involving more than 25,000 young people found modest but significant benefits across multiple areas of development.¹

Mentorship can be especially valuable for students from low-income and first-generation backgrounds, who may face financial, academic, and social barriers to college access and persistence. Research has found that supportive mentors are associated with increased college attendance, particularly among students from lower-income backgrounds.²

The relationship itself matters.

Research with underserved students found that closer mentor–student relationships were associated with better academic outcomes, suggesting that meaningful connection is an important part of effective mentorship.³ Other research emphasizes the value of sustained relationships, intentional guidance, and mentors who can serve as advocates for students.⁴

Importantly, emerging research suggests that the effects of mentorship can extend well beyond the immediate mentoring relationship. A landmark study spanning across three decades of data from Big Brothers Big Sisters found that mentored youth were more likely to attend college and experienced higher earnings in early adulthood, providing evidence that strong mentoring relationships can contribute to longer-term educational and economic mobility.⁵

Mentorship can also support students once they reach college.

In a case study of a program serving low-income students at an urban four-year university, mentored students had higher retention than comparable non-mentored students, 86% compared with 75%. Mentors helped students access academic resources, navigate the university, make course decisions, and become more socially engaged.⁶

For women pursuing STEM, confidence and a strong sense of capability are also important to leadership development. Research with women STEM students has linked self-efficacy and academic experience to leadership development.⁷

The message is simple: Talent is universal, but opportunity is not.

Mentorship gives students more than advice, it provides guidance, encouragement, connection, and gives students someone invested in their success.

WiSH brings those relationships together with the resources young women need to pursue opportunities in science and health.

References

1. Raposa EB, Rhodes JE, Stams GJJM, et al. The Effects of Youth Mentoring Programs: A Meta-Analysis of Outcome Studies. Journal of Youth and Adolescence. 2019.

2. Reynolds JR, Parrish M. Natural Mentors, Social Class, and College Success. American Journal of Community Psychology. 2018;61(1-2):179-190. doi:10.1002/ajcp.12209.

3. Bayer A, Grossman JB, DuBois DL. Using Volunteer Mentors to Improve the Academic Outcomes of Underserved Students: The Role of Relationships. Journal of Community Psychology. 2015;43(4):408-429. doi:10.1002/jcop.21693.

4. National Institute of Justice. Mentoring Programs for Youth: A Promising Intervention for Delinquency Prevention.

5. Big Brothers Big Sisters of America. Big Brothers Big Sisters of America Launches Groundbreaking Research on the Long-term Impacts of Mentorship. 2025. Big Brothers Big Sisters research summary

6. Cooke JE. A Case Study on the Impact of a Mentorship Program on Low Socioeconomic Status Students at a Four-Year Urban University. Drexel University; 2016. 

7. Coluccio G, Muñoz-Herrera S, Adriasola E, Escobar E. Leadership Development in Women STEM Students: The Interplay of Task Behaviors, Self-Efficacy, and University Training. Behavioral Sciences. 2024;14(11):1087