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Emerging from the Pipeline: African American Students, Socioeconomic Status, and College Experiences and Outcomes

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Abstract

This study focuses on how social class affects the college experiences and outcomes for African American students in 4-year colleges and universities. Using a national, longitudinal data base, the findings indicate that low SES African American students have less contact with faculty, study less, are less involved with student organizations, work more, and have lower grades than do their high SES peers or all African American students. Furthermore, 9 years after entering college, low SES students report lower incomes, lower rates of degree attainment and lower aspirations than their high SES peers, and were less likely to have attended graduate school. Logistic regression results indicate that sex, college GPA, and plans following college significantly affect the likelihood that a student will attend graduate school.

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Notes

  1. The terms African American students and Black students are used interchangeably throughout this paper.

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Correspondence to MaryBeth Walpole.

Appendices

Appendix A

College Experience Variables and Coding

Guest in Professor’s Home: 1 = not at all; 2 = occasionally; 3 = frequently

Worked on Professor’s Research Project: 1 = no; 2 = yes

Assisted Professor in teaching Class: 1 = no; 2 = yes

Hours per week spent talking to Faculty Outside of Class: 8 point scale from 1 = 0 h/week to 8 = over 20 h/week

Hours per week spent Studying: 8 point scale from 1 = 0 h/week to 8 = over 20 h/week

Hours per week spent in student Clubs and Groups: 8 point scale from 1 = 0 h/week to 8 = over 20 h/week

Participated in intercollegiate Athletics: 1 = no; 2 = yes

Hours per week spent Working: 8 point scale from 1 = 0 h/week to 8 = over 20 h/week

Worked Full Time while in College: 1 = no; 2 = yes

College GPA: 6 point scale from 1 = C− or less to 6 = A or A+

1989 Plan to attend College Full Time the Following Year: 1 = unmarked; 2 = marked

1989 Plan to attend Graduate School the Following Year: 1 = unmarked; 2 = marked

Appendix B

Regression Variables and Blocks

Dependent Variable = Attended Graduate School: 1 = no; 2 = yes

Pre-Test

1985 Degree Aspirations 10 point scale: 1 = none; 2 = vocational certificate; 3 = Associate’s; 4 = Bachelor’s; 5 = Master’s; 6 = PhD/EdD; 7 = MD/DO/DDS/DVM; 8 = LLB/JD; 9 = BD/MDIV; 10 = Other

Input Block

  • Sex: 1 = male; 2 = female

  • SAT Verbal: Student’s SAT verbal score: 200–800

  • SES = Income + Father’s Education + Mother’s Education + (Father’s Occupation/7) + (Mother’s Occupation/7)

    • Income is on a 14 point scale: 1 < $6,000 to 14 = $150,000 or more

    • Father and Mother’s education are each on an 8 point scale: 1 = Grammar school or less to 8 = Graduate degree

    • Father and Mother’s occupation are on a 48 point scale: 1 = Accountant/Actuary to 48 = Unemployed; these were recoded according to Nakao and Treas (1994) into an occupational prestige scale from 28 = unskilled laborer to 86 = physician

Institutional Characteristics Block

HBCU: 1 = no; 2 = yes

College Investment Block

  • Worked on Prof. Research: 1 = no; 2 = yes

  • Worked Full Time: 1 = no; 2 = yes

  • Took Part in Intercollegiate Athletics: 1 = no; 2 = yes

  • HPW Studying: 8 point scale from 1 = 0 h/week to 8 = over 20 h/week

  • HPW Talking w/Faculty Outside Class: 8 point scale from 1 = 0 h/week to 8 = over 20 h/week

  • HPW Student Clubs/Groups: 8 point scale from 1 = 0 h/week to 8 = over 20 h/week

  • College GPA: 6 point scale from 1 = C− or less to 6 = A or A+

College Conversion Block

  • 1989 Plan Attend Grad School: 1 = unmarked; 2 = marked

  • 1989 Plan Travel: 1 = unmarked; 2 = marked

  • Degree Asp. 1989: 10 point scale: 1 = none; 2 = vocational certificate; 3 = Associate’s; 4 = Bachelor’s; 5 = Master’s; 6 = PhD/EdD; 7 = MD/DO/DDS/DVM; 8 = LLB/JD; 9 = BD/MDIV; 10 = Other

  • Reasons for Career-Intrinsic = Interesting Work + Challenging Work + Contrib. to Society + Opp. for Freedom of Act: each scored on a 4 point scale from 1 = not important to 4 = essential

  • Reasons for Career Extrinsic = Job Opportunities + Pays Well + Opp. for Advancement: each scored on a 4 point scale from 1 = not important to 4 = essential

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Walpole, M. Emerging from the Pipeline: African American Students, Socioeconomic Status, and College Experiences and Outcomes. Res High Educ 49, 237–255 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11162-007-9079-y

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