- Black students were significantly more likely than white students to attend a 4-year university.
- As socioeconomic status (SES)increases, students are significantly more likely to attend a 2 or 4-year college versus not enrolling at any college.
- As students highest-level of math taking and high school grade point average increased, so did their likelihoods of attending either a 2- or 4- year college. The effect was stronger for a 4- year college.
- As the number of one’s friends attending a 4-year college increased, students were more likely to attend a 4-year institution. The number of friends attending a 2-year college exhibited a negative effect on the likelihood of attending a 4-year institution.
- The average socioeconomic status of a high school proved to be a very strong indicator of college enrollment, although the effect was more pronounced for 4-year enrollment.
- No effect on college enrollment related to the learning environment. Variables for learning environment included school morale, guidance counselors, and the frequency in which students were exposed to school violence.
- The proportion of students at a school where English was their native language decreased students’ likelihood of college attendance.
- The results highlight the normative role of high schools in promoting college enrollment, particularly the role of socioeconomics, academic preparation, and access to parent, peer, and college-linking networks.
- This study advances the understanding of the secondary-postsecondary nexus and has implications for policies and practices aimed at realizing the current administration’s promise of providing greater access to postsecondary education for all students.
- High school context has a significant relationship with attending college.