Wednesday, February 18, 2015

Study Finds Wealth Gap in Graduation Rates

By Melissa Korn of the Wall Street Journal. Excerpts:
"In 2013, 77% of adults from families in the top income quartile earned at least a bachelor’s degree by the time they turned 24, up from 40% in 1970"

"In the lowest income quartile, 9% of people earned a bachelor’s degree by age 24 in 2013, up from 6% in 1970."

"Forty-five percent of dependent 18- to 24-year-olds from the lowest income quartile—with family income of $34,160 or less—enrolled in 2012, up from 28% in 1970. The enrollment rate of the highest-income students—with family income of $108,650 or more—also rose, to 81% from 74%, so the gap in enrollment between the two groups shrank.

Still, most low-income students who pursue degrees fail to make it to graduation. About one in five students from the lowest income bracket completed a bachelor’s degree by age 24 in 2013, about flat with the 1970 figure. Among students from top-earning families, meanwhile, 99% of students who enrolled completed their degrees, up from 55% in 1970, the report said."
So the college graduation rate for the upper quartile is 8.5 times higher than for the bottom quartile (because 77/9 is about 8.5).

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

nice post, but i'm wondering if money or motivation has to do with such and extensive gap in the graduation rate amongst those in the top and bottom quartiles.

This could mean that the people in the top quartile generally have higher IQs or it could be an expectation that is set in the high income culture. Several possibilities here, but i'm sure resources and motivation are the biggest factors.