Adolescent Poverty and the Economic Value of Degree Attainment

• In Event: Reaching for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Troubling Times

Abstract

High school and college degree attainment is commonly considered to be the primary pathway for upward mobility. However, the intergenerational transmission of income continues to be a primary mechanism for the perpetuation of poverty. College degree attainment benefits those from higher family income backgrounds but not those in the bottom quintile (Pew, 2012). This study aims to better understand how adolescent poverty is a factor in the role of degree attainment on immediate boosts to wages and to wage growth over time. Preliminary findings indicate poverty experiences during adolescence account for substantial variation in the impact of high school and college degrees on wage patterns over time.

Authors

• Bess A. Rose, University of Maryland

• Angela K. Henneberger, University of Maryland - Baltimore

• Dawnsha Mushonga, University of Baltimore