Bridging the Gap: Income-Based Disparities in Career Preparedness and the Role of Collegiate Experiences

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Thursday 9:45 am - Gold 1
  In Roundtable Session: Roundtable 1

Abstract

This study examines whether income-based disparities influence students’ perceived preparedness for post-college pathways using survey data from 4,980 undergraduates. Independent samples t-tests showed that low-income students reported lower levels of preparedness (M = 2.88) than their peers (M = 3.00), t(5782) = -2.75, p = .006. To isolate the effect of income, we applied propensity score matching (PSM) on academic, experiential, and support variables, yielding 1,143 matched pairs. After matching, the preparedness gap was no longer significant, t(1142) = -0.52, p = .604. These findings suggest that disparities in perceived readiness are largely shaped by differential access to college experiences rather than income status alone, underscoring the role of institutional environments in shaping student outcomes.

Authors

• Wonki Lee, University of California - Los Angeles

• Casey Shapiro, University of California - Los Angeles

• Elena Peterson, University of California - Los Angeles

• Valeria G. Dominguez, University of California - Los Angeles

• Erin O'Leary, University of California - Los Angeles

• Kem Saichaie, University of California, Los Angeles