The Foundational Inequality – Race Differences in Education Mobility in the US

Education can break the intergenerational cycle of disadvantage but, like socioeconomic status, education is also persistent across generations (Fletcher & Han, 2019; Hertz et al., 2007). This persistence can erode the power of education to fuel the mobility prospects of members of some groups relative to others. To describe variation in the mobility-enhancing potential of education, we examine sex and racial/ethnic patterns in intergenerational education mobility. Results suggest women unambiguously experience better mobility outcomes relative to males; however, patterns by race/ethnicity are less clear. Although there is evidence of some differentiated education mobility by race/ethnicity, estimates often lack precision. Among males, upward mobility is relatively consistent across race/ethnicity. Downward mobility appears highest among non-Hispanic Black and Hispanic Americans and lower among Asian Americans relative to non-Hispanic White American males. Females have less evidence of differentiated education mobility across race/ethnicity. Contextual correlates at the individual and spatial levels tend to reveal less upward mobility and more downward mobility for disadvantaged groups; however, certain mobility metrics do not offer consistent findings.