Access to Post-Secondary Education Among the First and Second Generation Children of Canadian Immigrants

Abstract

This research exploits the uniquely rich Youth in Transition Survey to investigate access to post-secondary education (PSE) among the children of Canadian immigrants, including both (i) those who came to this country as immigrants themselves by age 15, and (ii) those who were born in Canada to immigrant parents. Both groups are, overall, considerably more likely to attend PSE, university in particular, than non-immigrant youth, but the patterns vary a great deal by source country, with the Chinese, African and certain other Asian groups having especially high rates. The immigrant differences are partly explained by certain demographic characteristics of their families (e.g., province and area size of residence and family structure), by the relatively high education levels of their parents, and other observable factors such as parental aspirations regarding their children’s education. However, some significant differences remain even after controlling for these and other factors.