Immigrants in the Educational System in Spain: Who Persists?

Educational attainment in one’s youth generally leads to a more successful transition to adulthood. However, the number of years that youth spend in the educational system is affected by personal characteristics and social context. For immigrants who arrive in a country as children, one of these variables is national or geographical origin, which influences the type of adjustment challenges they must face. Receiving countries must make a major effort to integrate this student population into their educational systems, in order to ensure, as far as possible, that equal opportunities are available to all. The present study analyses the educational trajectory of young people (aged 15–34) in Catalonia (Northeast Spain) and the relationship between the desired and actual level of education attained. Kaplan–Meier and Cox models (survival analysis) were fitted to assess the influence of different variables in explaining the time spent in the education system. After controlling for personal, parental and contextual factors, we found that Moroccan youth have a higher risk of abandoning their studies, and therefore attain a lower educational level. However, Latin-American populations are more likely to feel dissatisfied with the level achieved.