Racial, Ethnic and Socioeconomic Disparities in College Destinations, 1982 and 1992

This study examines college destinations of high school graduates to determine whether the impact of socioeconomic status on college attendance patterns differs by race and ethnicity and whether these relationships are stable over time. Using the HS&B and NELS:88 surveys, the college destinations of high school graduates in 1982 and 1992 are arrayed by type (less-than-2-yr; 2-yr and 4-yr institutions) and selectivity (ranging from open door to highly selective institutions). Analyses chart persistence and change in the sorting processes that enable some minorities to enroll in highly selective institutions, others to enroll in noncompetitive colleges, and still others to skip college altogether. Results show that socioeconomic status has a direct and persisting effect on college destination, and it is particularly crucial in providing access to highly selective colleges. Moreover, high-SES white graduates are significantly more likely to attend a selective or highly selective college compared to their minority counterparts whereas the opposite is true for youth hailing from less than affluent families. The conclusion discusses the policy implications of these results.