Equalizing or Stratifying? Intergenerational Persistence across College Degrees

Abstract

The literature has shown inconsistent support for the equalization thesis, that is, the idea that a college degree erases the effect of social origin on socioeconomic destination, and suggested higher intergenerational persistence among advanced degree holders compared to those with bachelor's degrees. The present study sheds light on the origin-destination link by investigating the intergenerational association between parents' education and offspring's earnings, paying attention to parents' education relative to their children's. Drawing on large samples and multiple waves of data from the National Survey of College Graduates, this study also makes an empirical contribution by analyzing intergenerational persistence across degree types. For women, I find highest intergenerational persistence at the bachelor level, but little evidence of intergenerational association for any advanced degrees. For men, results show intergenerational persistence across educational groups. Differences across respondents holding different types of degree support a theory of intergenerational relative education advantage, in which the effect of parents' education on offspring's attainment varies depending on offspring's education relative to their parents. Educational and labor market-related factors do not change the overall picture.

Do Parents Matter for Student Loan Repayment after Graduation?

“…Recent studies report that socioeconomic associations between parents and college-educated children vary depending on the children’s specific educational outcomes, indicating substantial heterogeneity and stratification among college graduates (Manzoni 2021; Oh and Kim 2020; Torche 2011). To further examine whether the association between parents’ education and student loan repayment varies by children’s educational outcomes, I estimate the models separately by highest degree attained (bachelor’s degree or graduate degree), field of study for the highest degree (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics [STEM] or non-STEM), and type of institution conferring the highest degree (selective private institutions or others).…”

“…Otherwise, parents’ SES is positively associated with college graduates’ student loan repayment, requiring further investigation into the two other possibilities (hypotheses 2a and 2b). Recent empirical studies criticize the great equalizer argument, finding substantial educational and occupational disparities among college graduates with strong connections to parents’ SES (Manzoni 2021; Oh and Kim 2020; Torche 2011; Witteveen and Attewell 2017). These studies suggest that the current research should consider stratification in and through higher education, which may also affect the rate at which college graduates repay their debt (Looney and Yannelis 2015).…”