High Schools’ Average Incomes Predict College Enrollment, Study Finds

Report: “High School Benchmarks Report: National College Progression Rates”

Organization: National Student Clearinghouse Research Center

Summary: Students who graduate from high schools with low average income levels remain less likely to enroll in college than do their counterparts from schools with higher average incomes.

The report divides public, non-charter high schools according to three characteristics: income level, percentage of minority students, and locale. Of those factors, income level—measured by the proportion of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunches—most closely correlates to college enrollment.

Other findings:

• Almost three-quarters of students from “higher income,” “low minority” suburban schools enroll in college right after graduation. Among higher-income public schools, high-minority schools have a lower college-enrollment rate than do low-minority schools.
• From 11 to 23 percent of college-bound graduates from higher-income schools enroll at out-of-state institutions. Only 9 to 13 percent of those from low-income high schools do so.
• Students from low-income high schools who enroll in college the first fall after they graduate are more likely to enter two-year colleges than are students from higher-income schools.
• About 50 percent of students at low-income schools enroll in college immediately after graduating, while 65 percent enroll in college within two years of graduation.
• Students from higher-income schools are more likely to persist—by either remaining enrolled or transferring—than are graduates of low-income schools.

The report is based on data for more than 3.5 million students who graduated from public and private high schools in the past four years. While data are provided for all 50 states, the sample is not nationally representative.

Bottom Line: The average income level of a high school remains the best way to predict how many of its students will enroll in college.