Predictors of College Attendance Patterns of Rural Youth

• In Event: 52.077 - How Far to Go? Rural Postsecondary Choices

Abstract

This study investigated patterns of college enrollment using data on contemporary rural youth from diverse geographic locations across the United States. We found that many rural youth attended two-year colleges at some point during their college career (33.3%) and about a fourth (25.9%) first enrolled in a two-year college and then in a four-year college. We also found parental education, college preparatory track experiences, and teacher expectations to be significant predictors of students’ college enrollment patterns. Collectively, the findings point to the importance of two-year colleges in the postsecondary education of rural youth, as many students take advantage of community college systems either initially or somewhere along their educational trajectory.

Authors

• Soo-yong Byun, The Pennsylvania State University

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

• Charlotte Agger, University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill

• Hyeyoung Hwang, University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill