What Has High School Got to Do With It? High School Composition, Structures, and College Enrollment

• In Event: 47.096 - MTCC Roundtable Session 20
  In Roundtable Session: 47.096-8 - College Enrollment and Experiences in STEM

Abstract

This study investigated whether the ethnic and socio-economic school composition of high schools affects higher education enrollment. Furthermore we investigated whether these effects were mediated by high school resources. Logistic multilevel analyses of data (2013-2017) from 943 students across 30 Flemish secondary schools showed that the socio-economic composition of the high school affected both attending higher education and attending a four-year program versus a two-year program. This effect was mediated by percentage retained students and good relationships between students and teachers – that is, human and social capital of the school. We conclude that, resources do not completely explain the lower chances of higher education enrollment for students in low socio-economic composition and high ethnic concentration schools.

Authors

• Isis Vandelannote, Ghent University

• Jannick Demanet, Ghent University