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xchrom

(108,903 posts) Fri Mar 22, 2013, 08:42 AM Mar 2013

The Miserable Odds of a Poor Student Graduating From College (in 2 Graphs)

http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2013/03/the-miserable-odds-of-a-poor-student-graduating-from-college-in-2-graphs/274250/

As we frequently like to point out here at The Atlantic, going to college is perhaps the single best financial decision a young adult can make. But there's a catch: you have to graduate. If not, the costs can easily swamp the benefits.

And that is one of the most important reasons why, in many ways, America's higher education system does more to deepen class divisions than it does to bridge them. Because the truth is that compared to their richer classmates, low-income students have only a faint hope of ever graduating from college if they even get there.

The two graphs below, from a recent report by Third Way, and based on major longitudinal studies of American youth, show how wide that gulf is. The blue dotted line tracks the youngest Baby Boomers, while the red line looks at the oldest Millennials. First, note that between the generations, the rich-poor attendance gap grew from 39 percentage points to 51 percentage points.

But graduation rates are perhaps even more appalling. Just 9 percent of students from the poorest families complete a degree -- meaning less than a third who ever enroll make it to commencement. By comparison, 54 percent of the most wealthy students earn a diploma, meaning they have about a two-thirds success rate.

15 replies

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The Miserable Odds of a Poor Student Graduating From College (in 2 Graphs) (Original Post) xchrom Mar 2013 OP

Off to Facebook ...REC Coyotl Mar 2013 #1

54% =/= 2/3 Electric Monk Mar 2013 #2

Agree ... makes you wonder if the author graduated from college. JoePhilly Mar 2013 #3

The math is correct. dbmk Mar 2013 #5

ah, ok, I'd missed that. I shouldn't post before my 1st coffee ;) Electric Monk Mar 2013 #7

They were unclear, but they meant that about 2/3 of those who start, finish Orangepeel Mar 2013 #6

k/r marmar Mar 2013 #4

We seem to have a quirk about educating the richest not Cleita Mar 2013 #8

These days, even if you graduate, it still might be a terrible investment. Arugula Latte Mar 2013 #9

True. But if you have no degree, you have zero chance at most decent jobs. reformist2 Mar 2013 #10

That's true. My kids will go to college, somehow... Arugula Latte Mar 2013 #11

kick and recommend liberal_at_heart Mar 2013 #12

Please explain why the graduation rate for the poorest quintile has doubled 1-Old-Man Mar 2013 #13

Their teachers were putting in reteachinwi Mar 2013 #14

I'm sure that there are many reasons, but among them I believe it likely that coming from the bottom Egalitarian Thug Mar 2013 #15

Coyotl

(15,262 posts)

1. Off to Facebook ...REC

Reply to xchrom (Original post)

Fri Mar 22, 2013, 08:59 AM

Mar 2013

Electric Monk

(13,869 posts)

2. 54% =/= 2/3

Reply to xchrom (Original post)

Fri Mar 22, 2013, 09:20 AM

Mar 2013

54% = ~1/2

JoePhilly

(27,787 posts)

3. Agree ... makes you wonder if the author graduated from college.

Reply to Electric Monk (Reply #2)

Fri Mar 22, 2013, 09:22 AM

Mar 2013

dbmk

(2,556 posts)

5. The math is correct.

Reply to Electric Monk (Reply #2)

Fri Mar 22, 2013, 09:52 AM

Mar 2013

It is 54% compared to the 80% that started.

54/80 = 0,675 = very close to 2/3

Electric Monk

(13,869 posts)

7. ah, ok, I'd missed that. I shouldn't post before my 1st coffee ;)

Reply to dbmk (Reply #5)

Fri Mar 22, 2013, 10:14 AM

Mar 2013

Orangepeel

(13,933 posts)

6. They were unclear, but they meant that about 2/3 of those who start, finish

Reply to Electric Monk (Reply #2)

Fri Mar 22, 2013, 09:58 AM

Mar 2013

The 54% is the percent of the population that finishes, not the percentage of those who start that finish.

marmar

(77,056 posts)

4. k/r

Reply to xchrom (Original post)

Fri Mar 22, 2013, 09:23 AM

Mar 2013

Cleita

(75,480 posts)

8. We seem to have a quirk about educating the richest not

Reply to xchrom (Original post)

Fri Mar 22, 2013, 11:02 AM

Mar 2013

the brightest because kids have to pay for their education. We need to take a page from the book of many Northern European countries who have free education all the way through graduate school providing the student does his part and maintains his grade level to advance. I suggest a tax on large corporations for this. IMHO they should pay for the education of the educated work force that they will benefit from in the future.

Arugula Latte

(50,566 posts)

9. These days, even if you graduate, it still might be a terrible investment.

Reply to xchrom (Original post)

Fri Mar 22, 2013, 11:28 AM

Mar 2013

Parents with kids headed to college should watch this:

reformist2

(9,841 posts)

10. True. But if you have no degree, you have zero chance at most decent jobs.

Reply to Arugula Latte (Reply #9)

Fri Mar 22, 2013, 11:31 AM

Mar 2013

Arugula Latte

(50,566 posts)

11. That's true. My kids will go to college, somehow...

Reply to reformist2 (Reply #10)

Fri Mar 22, 2013, 11:34 AM

Mar 2013

...maybe junior college the first two years to get basic classes out of the way. I would love them to have that freshman dorm/four-years at a university experience, but it is just so ridiculously expensive these days. I also believe there is value in just gathering knowledge for the sake of knowledge, even if you never "use" it. I want them to get a well-rounded education.

But, the costs have gone up exponentially since I was in college. Even if you can get a job out of college, you're likely to be saddled with huge debt for years to come. It's so discouraging.

liberal_at_heart

(12,081 posts)

12. kick and recommend

Reply to xchrom (Original post)

Fri Mar 22, 2013, 11:35 AM

Mar 2013

1-Old-Man

(2,667 posts)

13. Please explain why the graduation rate for the poorest quintile has doubled

Reply to xchrom (Original post)

Fri Mar 22, 2013, 11:39 AM

Mar 2013

I notice that in the lowest Quartile the graduation rate increased from 5% to 9%, and increase of 80% but that the top Quartile had an increase from 36% to 54%, which is only a 50% increase. So what happened over the years that allows relatively more poor to graduate than rich?

reteachinwi

(579 posts)

14. Their teachers were putting in

Reply to 1-Old-Man (Reply #13)

Fri Mar 22, 2013, 03:35 PM

Mar 2013

a lot of overtime, as were they.

Egalitarian Thug

(12,448 posts)

15. I'm sure that there are many reasons, but among them I believe it likely that coming from the bottom

Reply to 1-Old-Man (Reply #13)

Fri Mar 22, 2013, 03:56 PM

Mar 2013

quarter of the social strata during that time-frame, they were highly motivated by seeing their parents and peers being pushed out of social consideration even as simply living became more and more difficult. A person that comes from a relatively affluent background has more choices and opportunities, and so feels less pressured. Do you think Bill Gates would have dropped out of Harvard if his dad drove a truck and he got in on a scholarship and/or had piled up $200,000 of debt?

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