“Mobility” Without Risks: Understanding Why Working-Class Latino Men Decide Against College

• In Event: 30620 - Section on Inequality, Poverty, and Mobility Roundtables
  In Refereed Roundtable (60 minute): Table 4: Migration, Incorporation, and Inequality

Abstract

This study examines how young Latino men navigate higher education decisions within America's increasingly risk-laden socioeconomic landscape. Through 30 in-depth interviews with Latino men aged 18-38 who chose not to pursue four-year degrees, I demonstrate that forgoing college represents a deliberate strategy to mitigate financial uncertainty rather than reflecting limited aspirations. Participants consistently framed higher education as a risky investment with uncertain returns, expressing concerns about educational debt, opportunity costs, and potential wasted time—often informed by witnessing others' experiences with student debt and underemployment. Despite opting out of college, these men actively sought and often achieved alternative paths to economic stability through immediate labor market participation, viewing this pathway as minimizing perceived educational risks while maximizing immediate economic returns. Many participants, including those in trades and service positions, expressed satisfaction with their economic situations and the immediate benefits of their career choices. As men's college enrollment continues to decline relative to women's, this research challenges deficit-oriented perspectives by revealing how structural uncertainties in American higher education and the broader economy fundamentally influence educational and employment decision making, particularly among men and racially underrepresented communities.

Author

• Andres Villatoro, University of Pennsylvania