A Qualitative Study of Socioeconomic Status, Post-secondary Education Plans, and Educational Aspirations of Students from a Michigan Public School

Abstract

Post-secondary education is often seen as an important factor for individual success and is positively correlated with factors ranging from income to happiness. Unfortunately, access to higher-education varies greatly in the United States. In this paper, I examine the relationship between socioeconomic status and the post-secondary plans of current high-school students and recent high-school graduates. Through in-depth interviews, I explore the relationship between students’ socioeconomic backgrounds and their educational aspirations of students from Bay City School District in Michigan, USA. I conclude that both cultural and economic factors combine to influence the range of decisions that students make, not simply about whether or not to pursue post-secondary education, but also about how and where to pursue that education.

Keywords

• social capital
• educational achievement
• college selectivity
• student selectivity