Researchers have assumed that social cognitive factors play significant roles in the career development of transition youth and young adults with disabilities and those without disabilities. However, research on the influence of the career decision-making process as a primary causal agent in one’s psychosocial outcomes such as perceived level of quality of life remains limited. Therefore, the purpose of the present study was twofold: (a) to evaluate the general compatibility (i.e., goodness of fit) of the hypothesized model with the data; and (b) to determine the effect of career decision self-efficacy, career decision-making outcome expectations, goals, and perceived contextual supports on the quality of life of college students with disabilities. Serving as a theoretical framework for the current study was Social Cognitive Career Theory (SCCT). This theory provides a lens with which to explore the predictive utility of social cognitive variables related to college students with disabilities by focusing on the strength of an individual’s beliefs, cognitive, and environmental systems.Participating in the study were 386 college students with disabilities currently enrolled in 2-year and 4-year private/public colleges and universities in a Midwestern state. They completed demographic information, career decision self-efficacy, career decision-making outcome expectations, goals, perceived contextual supports, and quality of life measures. Based on an online, quantitative descriptive survey design, a series of statistical analyses including exploratory factor analysis, confirmatory factor analysis, descriptive statistics, Pearson correlations, and structural equation modeling was used to interpret results, answer the research question and examine the hypothesis. Results showed that the structural model of career development and the quality of life of college students with disabilities adequately fit the data. They provide empirical support for the significant direct and indirect effects among the social cognitive variables and quality of life. The findings suggest that the obtained model predicts the quality of life of college students with disabilities from a combination of career decision self-efficacy, career decision-making outcome expectations, goals, and perceived contextual supports.Data generated from the present study can be used to inform current practitioners in the career development and vocational rehabilitation fields as well as college students with disabilities and their families. The findings were discussed in light of process aspects of career development and overall quality of life and strengths and limitations of the study were provided. Implications for practice and future research are also discussed.
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