First-generation status in context, part one: Trends in parental education and family structures over time

Analysis of nearly a decade of Common App data (over 9 million applicants) shows that defining first-generation status is complicated. It depends on whose education is counted and what types of degrees or college attendance are included. These decisions can dramatically alter the size and makeup of the identified first-generation population.

Key findings include:

• Shifting from a bachelor’s degree threshold to include any college attendance reclassified approximately 127,000 students, about 11% of domestic applicants. This change moved them from first-generation to continuing-generation status.
• Adjusting criteria to include or exclude specific types or sources of degrees (e.g., U.S.-based only, or degrees earned before a student’s birth) can affect the classification of up to 165,000 students. This represents 14% of domestic applicants.
• Around 8.8% of domestic applicants had parents with bachelor’s degrees earned outside the U.S., and nearly 6% had parents who completed their degrees after the student was born. Both factors may or may not be considered depending on the definition used.
• 11.6% of applicants reported limited or no information about one or both parents. Roughly 30% didn’t live with both biological parents. This highlights the importance of considering broader caregiver relationships and household structures in definitions.

These nuances underscore the critical need for clarity and intentionality when defining “first-generation” for research, policy, and support efforts: what criteria are used, whose educational background counts, and what purpose are we serving with this classification?