Spatial Inequality in California's Education System: A Qualitative Case Study of Rural Latina College Choice

• In Event: Marriott Roundtable Session 2
  In Roundtable Session: College and Career Decision Making

Abstract

The limited postsecondary educational opportunities available to rural students remains marginalized in discussions of college access and choice. Moreover, the scholarship on student college choice rarely focuses on the importance of geography in shaping students’ college-related decisions. This study will apply a spatial lens to examine the extent to which choice is constrained by the local environment of rural Latinas living in the California Central Valley. By focusing on the function of geography in shaping students’ educational destinations, this study hopes to create a dialogue around the unequal distribution of colleges in California. Failing to address the spatial inequality of postsecondary education systems hinders our ability to develop theories that support the quest for equitable educational opportunity for all students.

Author

• Mayra Puente, University of California - Santa Barbara