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High School Classmates and College Success
Jason M Fletcher1, Marta Tienda
1Yale University.
Sociology of Education
|November 23, 2012
Summary
Students entering college with more high school classmates achieve higher academic success. A marginal increase in same-race peers significantly boosts college grade point average (GPA), especially for minority students.
Area of Science:
- Sociology of Education
- Higher Education Studies
- Educational Policy
Background:
- Student success in higher education is influenced by various factors.
- The impact of peer groups, specifically high school classmates, on college achievement is under-researched.
- Understanding these peer effects can inform university admissions and support strategies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the influence of the number of same high school classmates on college achievement.
- To determine the effect on grade point average (GPA) and student persistence.
- To examine potential differential impacts based on race/ethnicity.
Main Methods:
- Utilized administrative data from the University of Texas-Austin (1993-2003 cohorts).
- Employed empirical specifications with high school fixed effects to control for school-level variables.
- Applied an instrumental variables/fixed effects estimation strategy to assess marginal effects.
Main Results:
- Students entering college with a larger number of high school classmates demonstrated higher academic achievement.
- A marginal increase in same-race high school classmates correlated with a 0.1-point rise in GPA.
- Minority students appeared to benefit more academically from larger high school cohorts compared to white students.
Conclusions:
- A larger number of high school classmates positively influences college achievement.
- Same-race peer effects are particularly significant for academic performance.
- Findings suggest targeted interventions may enhance minority student success in college.
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