Student Debt and Geographic Disadvantage: Disparities by Rural, Suburban, and Urban Background*

Abstract

American youth from rural backgrounds have made great strides to overcome challenges in college enrollment and completion since the 2000s. Yet little is known about how rural youth are financing these attainment increases—a pressing question in light of high college costs, rising student debt, and spatial inequality in the resources that students have to pay for college. This paper examines disparities in young adults' student debt by geographic background using data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1997 Cohort. Regression analyses reveal that college‐goers from rural backgrounds accumulate more debt than those from suburban and urban backgrounds, adjusting for differences in sociodemographic characteristics. Rural college‐goers' higher debt can be partially attributed to differences in socioeconomic backgrounds and rates of inter‐county migration during college, and there is evidence that the additive influences of geographic background and gender contribute to particularly high debt among rural women. The findings suggest that longstanding spatial inequalities contribute to disparities in student debt and raise questions about the experiences of rural youth and communities in a debt‐based society.

A Phenomenological Investigation of Rural School Counselors’ Experiences Providing Career Development

“…The National Student Clearinghouse (2022) found that rural high school graduates enroll in college at lower rates than their suburban peers (Crain & Newlin, 2021; National Student Clearinghouse, 2022), although the percentage of rural youth who enroll in college has dramatically increased. Further, in the United States, college graduates from rural settings assume more student loan debt than graduates in other settings (Rhodes, 2021). Despite this, most rural youth eventually enroll in postsecondary education (e.g., trade school, community college) and earn a credential (e.g., diploma, certification; Schmitt-Wilson et al, 2018).…”

“…Concerning disparities exist related to the postsecondary outcomes of many rural youth in the United States (National Student Clearinghouse, 2022; Rhodes, 2021). Rural schools play a pivotal role in helping students explore careers and postsecondary options such as trade schools and community college.…”

Differential Access in Mortgage Credit: The Role of Neighborhood Spatial and Racial Stratification

“…Concentrations of poverty have also increased over time in rural areas, especially in minority rural communities (Lichter and Johnson 2007; Lobao 2004; Lobao, Hooks, and Tickamyer 2007; Sherman 2021). In addition, rural residents generally have lower education levels, higher debt levels, and lower income compared to urban and suburban residents (Pew Research Center 2018; Rhodes 2022; Smith and Tickamyer 2011; U.S. Census 2021; Wang et al 2012).…”