 Class Composition: Socioeconomic Characteristics of Coursemates and College Enrollment*Kate H. Choi, R. Kelly Raley, Chandra Muller and Catherine Riegle‐Crumb Social Science Quarterly, 2008, vol. 89, issue 4, 846-866 Abstract: Objective. We investigate how a student's social climate in school, specifically the percentage of coursemates whose parents are college educated, influences the likelihood of enrolling in a four‐year college. Methods. Using Add Health and AHAA data, we employ hierarchical logistic regression models to analyze how the socioeconomic characteristics of coursemates influence four‐year college enrollment. Results. We find evidence that taking courses with children of college‐educated parents increases the likelihood of four‐year college enrollment even after controlling for family background, achievement, and placement. Conclusion. We argue that the family background characteristics of coursemates may influence college enrollment because coursemates provide access to educational resources, such as information about college, and encourage students to apply to college by serving as a reference group. The favorable educational attainment of students with college‐educated parents is partially due to the greater likelihood that they will take courses with other children of college‐educated parents. Date: 2008 Downloads: (external link) Related works: Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:bla:socsci:v:89:y:2008:i:4:p:846-866 Ordering information: This journal article can be ordered from Access Statistics for this article Social Science Quarterly is currently edited by Robert L. Lineberry More articles in Social Science Quarterly from Southwestern Social Science Association |
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