A new study published by the National Center for Education Statistics, part of the U.S. Education Department, shows that students whose parents did not attend college perform worse in college and are less likely to receive a bachelor’s degree (24 percent) but more likely to receive an associate degree or certificate.
Students whose parents took some college classes were more likely to graduate with a bachelor’s degree (39 percent) or an associate degree or certificate (14 percent).
Student’s whose parents had a bachelor’s degree or higher were subtantially more likely to complete their bachelor’s degree (68 percent) but fewer received associate degrees or certificates (7 percent).
To see the research statistics and summary first hand, go to the National Center for Education Statistics at http://nces.ed.gov/pubs2005/2005171.pdf. And, if you have access, The Chronicle of Higher Education also has a report at http://chronicle.com/prm/daily/2005/08/2005081001n.htm
