Sooji Kim
Assistant Professor
About
Dr. Sooji Kim is an Assistant Professor of Higher Education Administration and Policy in the College of Education at the University of Florida. She earned her Ph.D. in Higher Education, with a concentration in Organizational Behavior and Management, from the University of Michigan.
Dr. Kim's research examines the design and effects of higher education policies, specifically financial aid and admissions, within the broader context of institutional enrollment management. Her work pays particular attention to the administrative, structural, and informational barriers that limit college access, affordability, and success among low-income students. Her scholarship draws primarily on quantitative methods, including causal inference approaches, complemented by mixed-methods designs.
Her work has appeared in The Journal of Higher Education, AERA Open, and Journal of Student Financial Aid, among other outlets. Dr. Kim's scholarship has been recognized by the American Educational Research Association-National Science Foundation (AERA-NSF) Research Grant, the 2025 Ascendium Researchers Fellowship Award at the Society for Research on Educational Effectiveness (SREE), and the 2023 Jean Flanigan Outstanding Dissertation Award from the Association for Education Finance and Policy (AEFP).
Dr. Kim's research examines the design and effects of higher education policies, specifically financial aid and admissions, within the broader context of institutional enrollment management. Her work pays particular attention to the administrative, structural, and informational barriers that limit college access, affordability, and success among low-income students. Her scholarship draws primarily on quantitative methods, including causal inference approaches, complemented by mixed-methods designs.
Her work has appeared in The Journal of Higher Education, AERA Open, and Journal of Student Financial Aid, among other outlets. Dr. Kim's scholarship has been recognized by the American Educational Research Association-National Science Foundation (AERA-NSF) Research Grant, the 2025 Ascendium Researchers Fellowship Award at the Society for Research on Educational Effectiveness (SREE), and the 2023 Jean Flanigan Outstanding Dissertation Award from the Association for Education Finance and Policy (AEFP).
Affiliations
- School of Human Development and Organizational Studies in Education
Research Interests
Finance, Higher Education Policy, Mixed Methods, Quantitative Research, Research / Program Evaluation
Education
- Ph.D. in Higher Education (Concentration: Organizational Behavior and Management), University of Michigan, 2022
- M.A. in Higher Education (Concentration: Institutional Research), University of Michigan, 2018
- Certificate of Graduate Studies in Survey Methodology, Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan, 2017
- M.A. in Education (Concentration: Higher Education), Yonsei University, 2013
- B.A. in Education (Double Major: English Language and Literature), Yonsei University, 2011
Professional Appointments
- University of Florida, College of Education, Assistant Professor, 2025-
- Seton Hall University, Department of Education Leadership, Management and Policy, Assistant Professor, 2024-2025
- Strategic Research Fellow, Division of Strategy and Policy, University of North Carolina System, 2023-2024
Activities and Honors
- Ascendium Researcher Fellowship Award, Society for Research on Educational Effectiveness (SREE), 2025
- Jean Flanigan Outstanding Dissertation Award, Association for Education Finance and Policy (AEFP), 2023
- Rackham One-Term Dissertation Fellowship, University of Michigan, 2022
- Karl C. K. Ma Scholarship, University of Michigan, 2021
- Doctoral Graduate Student Research Assistant Award, Poverty Solutions, University of Michigan, 2020
- Betty Mae Morrison Fellowship, School of Education, University of Michigan, 2018
- Robert and Judith Marans & Kan and Lillian Chen Fellowship, University of Michigan, 2016-2018
- School of Education Scholar Award, School of Education, University of Michigan, 2015-2019
- Horace H. Rackham School of Graduate Studies Regents Fellowship, University of Michigan, 2015
- Distinguished Dissertation Award and Scholarship, Yonsei University, 2013
- Academic Honors, Yonsei University, 2008, 2009
Selected Grants
High School Calculus and the Engineering Pipeline: Evidence from Michigan’s Statewide Longitudinal Data System
Role
- PI
Funding Agency
- American Educational Research Association (AERA)/National Science Foundation (NSF)
Project Period
- 2026-2028
Award Amount
- $35,000
How Does Universal FAFSA Reduce Inequality in Access and Success in Higher Education? Unpacking the Policy and Practice Mechanisms Across Multiple States
Role
- PI
Funding Agency
- 2025 Grant Competition, Seton Hall University Research Council (Awarded but did not accept due to institutional transition)
Project Period
- 2025
Award Amount
- $10,000 (Awarded but declined due to institutional transition)
Understanding the Information Needs of Blue-Collar Scholars to Improve the Federal Work-Study Program
Role
- PI
Funding Agency
- Poverty Solutions, University of Michigan
Project Period
- 2020
Award Amount
- $11,890
Improving Work and Equity for Low-Income Students: The Effects and Mechanisms of Federal work-study
Role
- PI
Funding Agency
- Rackham Graduate Student Research Grant, University of Michigan
Project Period
- 2020
Award Amount
- $3,000
Improving Work and Equity for Low-Income Students: The Effects and Mechanisms of Federal work-study
Role
- PI
Funding Agency
- The Marvin W. Peterson Endowed Fellowship, University of Michigan
Project Period
- 2020
Award Amount
- $3,500
Selected Publications
Articles
- Kim, S. (2026). The effects of federal work-study on first-year college outcomes: A regression discontinuity approach. The Journal of Higher Education, 1-38. https://doi.org/10.1080/00221546.2026.2637413
- Kim, S. (2026). Navigating federal work-study: How informational and structural barriers shape first-year student participation. Journal of Student Financial Aid, 54(2), Article 10.
- Kim, S., & Bastedo, M. N. (2024). Who gets their first choice? Race and class differences in college admissions outcomes. AERA Open, 10(1), 1-16.
- Kim, S., Parsons, S., Franklin, K. Y., & Parker, A. G. (2023). How do Hispanic-Serving Institutions serve Latinx students? A panel analysis of institutional characteristics and 6-year graduation rates. The AIR Professional File, Article 159.
Books / Book Chapters
- Kim, S., Clark-Brown, A., & Umbricht, M. (in press). Public higher education funding across the University of North Carolina System. In H. Tran, L. Stedrak, & D. G. Buckman (Eds.), Funding Public Higher Education in the United States. Information Age Publishing.
- Kim, H., Gonzalez, J. A., Clasing, P., & Kim, S. (2024). Potential effects of test-optional in doctoral admissions at a research-intensive university. In J. H. Paris & S. J. Kania III (Eds.), Handbook of Graduate Enrollment Management. Routledge.
Other Publications
- Park, J. J., & Kim, S. (2020). Harvard’s personal rating: The impact of private high school attendance. Asian American Policy Review, 30, 2-4.