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Five Facts About the First-Generation Excellence Gap

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Listed:
  • Uditi Karna
  • John A. List
  • Andrew Simon
  • Haruka Uchida

Abstract

Parents are crucial to children’s educational success, but the role of parental education in fostering academic excellence remains underexplored. Using longitudinal administrative data covering all North Carolina public school students, we document five facts about first-generation excellence gaps. We find large excellence gaps emerge by 3rd grade across all demographics and persist through high school. Yet, socioeconomic status and school quality explain only one-third of the gaps. The overarching facts reveal that excellence gaps re-flect deeper challenges rooted in parental human capital that manifest early and compound over time, rather than merely consequences of socioeconomic disadvantage or school quality differences.

Suggested Citation

  • Uditi Karna & John A. List & Andrew Simon & Haruka Uchida, 2025. "Five Facts About the First-Generation Excellence Gap," NBER Working Papers 34228, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    • Handle: RePEc:nbr:nberwo:34228
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    JEL classification:

    • I21 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Analysis of Education
    • I24 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Education and Inequality
    • I30 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Welfare, Well-Being, and Poverty - - - General
    • J08 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - General - - - Labor Economics Policies

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