First-Generation Students: Undergraduates Whose Parents Never Enrolled in Postsecondary Education

This report examines the postsecondary experiences of first-generation college students and compares them with those of their counterparts whose parents had education beyond high school. First-generation students were more likely to be enrolled part-time and to attend public 2-year institutions rather than 4-year institutions. They were also less likely to have earned a postsecondary degree within 5 years after enrolling. However, first-generation students who had attained certificates or degrees were employed in similar positions and earned comparable salaries to those of their counterparts whose parents had attended college.

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