FROM GED TO COLLEGE: THE ROLE OF AGE AND TIMING IN EDUCATIONAL STRATIFICATION

PWP-CCPR-2003-005

Abstract

GED certification has changed the landscape of educational stratification in the U.S. People who get a GED are less likely to go to college than those who obtain a traditional high school diploma. Disparities in family background and cognitive skills explain some of the differences in rates of college entry.  Past research, however, ignores the role of age and timing in each group’s transition from secondary to post-secondary schooling. Taking a life course perspective, this analysis shows that adjusting for differences in the age trajectories of school continuation accounts for a substantial portion of the differences observed between the two groups. Important differences remain, however, in the type of college attended (two-year versus four-year) and the likelihood of college entry before age 21.