Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2012 Jun 1;49(3):10.3102/0002831211416344.
doi: 10.3102/0002831211416344.

Rural-Nonrural Disparities in Postsecondary Educational Attainment Revisited

Soo-Yong Byun  1 , Judith L Meece, Matthew J Irvin
Affiliations

Rural-Nonrural Disparities in Postsecondary Educational Attainment Revisited

Soo-Yong Byun et al. Am Educ Res J. .

Abstract

Using data from the National Educational Longitudinal Study, this study revisited rural-nonrural disparities in educational attainment by considering a comprehensive set of factors that constrain and support youth's college enrollment and degree completion. Results showed that rural students were more advantaged in community social resources compared to nonrural students, and these resources were associated with a significant increase in the likelihood of bachelor's degree attainment. Yet results confirmed that rural students lagged behind nonrural students in attaining a bachelor's degree largely due to their lower socioeconomic background. The findings present a more comprehensive picture of the complexity of geographic residence in shaping college enrollment and degree attainment.

Keywords: Rural-nonrural disparities; community social resources; postsecondary educational attainment.

PubMed Disclaimer

References

    1. Adelman C. The toolbox revisited: Paths to degree completion from high school through college. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Education; 2006. Retrieved from http://www2.ed.gov/rschstat/research/pubs/toolboxrevisit/toolbox.pdf.
    1. Adelman C, Daniel B, Berkovits I, Owings J. Postsecondary attainment, attendance, curriculum, and performance: Selected results from the NELS:88/2000postsecondary education transcript study (PETS), 2000 (NCES 2003-394) Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics; 2003.
    1. Agresti A. Categorical data analysis. 2nd. New York, NY: John Wiley & Sons; 2002.
    1. Alliance for Excellent Education. Current challenges and opportunities in preparing rural high school students for success in college and careers. Washington, DC: Author; 2010.
    1. Arnold MM, Biscoe B, Farmer TW, Robertson DL, Shapley KL. How the government defines rural has implications for education policies and practices (Issues & Answers Report, REL 2007-No 010) Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance, Regional Educational Laboratory Southwest; 2007. Retrieved from http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/edlabs.

LinkOut - more resources