First-generation status in context, part 5: Enrollment, persistence, and degree completion by detailed parental education

In this fifth installment of the First-generation status in context series, Common App examines how the educational experiences of both applicants’ parents can shape their college experiences. This brief looks beyond the traditional first-generation binary to highlight substantial differences in enrollment and degree completion rates across more than 30 specific parental education combinations, including single-parent households.

Key findings include:

• Standard definitions mask significant nuance.
  • Outcomes vary within the binary. Both first-generation and continuing-generation groups encompass a wide range of experiences. For example, the standard first-generation label groups together students with a 20-percentage point range in degree completion rates (58% to 78%), depending on their specific parental education combination.
  • Outcomes overlap across the binary. The distinction between groups is not always a clear divide; the highest degree completion rates among first-generation applicants are often comparable to the lower range of rates among continuing-generation applicants.
• Disparities widen along the higher education pathway. While initial enrollment rates are relatively equal across groups, gaps in persistence and degree completion grow larger as students persist and complete degrees. .
• Outcomes cluster into four patterns that bridge the traditional divide. We identify four descriptive categories, "Striving," "Emerging," "Advancing," and "Established”, that show clusters of similar outcomes within our 30 plus parent degree combinations. Notably, the "Emerging" and "Advancing" groups mix first- and continuing-generation students together, showing, for instance, that students with a single parent with a Bachelor’s degree often have outcomes more similar to students with two parents with no college experience than to other continuing-generation students.

This research offers a nuanced lens for institutions and support programs striving to identify students most likely to benefit from additional resources. By recognizing the complexities within and across traditional definitions, higher education professionals can better tailor their support to the diverse realities of the students they serve.