First-generation students’ educational outcomes: The role of parental educational, cultural, and economic capital – A 9-years panel study

Abstract

We examined the role of parental educational, cultural, and economic capital in differences between first-generation students’ (FGS) and continuous-generation students’ (CGS) educational outcomes: enrollment in a selective university, university performance, the probability of dropout, and the probability of pursuing a master’s or PhD program. We analyzed data from nine waves of a cohort of 5000 Russian students surveyed yearly from 2012 to 2020. We applied structural equation modeling that allowed to conduct a multiple multivariate regression analysis and to correct for measurement error. We found that FGS are 10.8 percentage points less likely to choose a selective university and are 10.7 percentage points less likely to choose to follow a graduate program. But they do not differ from CGS in university performance and the likelihood of dropout. FGS are clearly positively selected on capitals and performance, but they still have on average less parental capital and worse school performance than CGS. Parental educational and cultural capitals partly explain the differences in educational outcomes between FGS and CGS, because they improve school and university performance. Cultural capital is an especially important mediator for choosing a selective university, while educational capital is important for the other three educational outcomes. Parental economic capital plays no role in explaining educational differences between FGS and CGS. Generally, FGS and CGS benefit equally from parental capital, except FGS profiting less from parental educational capital when entering a graduate program.