Rural/Nonrural Differences in College Attendance Patterns

• In Event: Contemporary Issues and Transformations in Rural Resource Communities

Abstract

This study examined how college attendance patterns among rural students differed from those among metro students and what might explain these rural/non-rural differences, using data from the National Education Longitudinal Study of 1988-2000 (NELS:88-00) and the Postsecondary Education Transcript Study (PETS). Rural students were less likely than their metro counterparts to first attend a doctorate-granting and selective institution. In addition, rural students were more likely to delay entry to postsecondary education, compared to their metro counterparts. Finally, rural students enrolled in college were more likely than their metro counterparts to attend a college without stop-outs. Most rural/non-rural differences in college attendance patterns were explained by the combination of lower socioeconomic status and poorer high school preparation in rural areas.

Authors

• Soo-yong Byun, The Pennsylvania State University

• Judith L. Meece, University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill

• Matthew J. Irvin, University of South Carolina