The college-to-K12 pipeline is more challenging for students with poverty

The 13th annual High School Benchmarks report's findings indicated that these socioeconomic disparities even appear immediately after high school graduation.

"For instance, the nonprofit research institution found 51 percent of students from high-poverty schools went to college in the fall after high school graduation compared with 74 percent of low-poverty school students.".

"Extensive differences in access to college and degree attainment mean that a lot of students are deprived of the benefits of higher education opportunity, particularly low-income students," National Student Clearinghouse Research Center executive director Doug Shapiro said in a Wednesday statement. "Even with consistent enrollment outcomes, the socioeconomic gaps remain firm."

The findings are concurrent with other studies this year that have indicated most high school students aren't ready to choose a postsecondary path after graduation. That includes a traditional four-year college degree, work or otherwise, according to a June report released by Jobs for the Future, Gallup and the Walton Family Foundation. Over one-third of students in high school said they've never set foot on a college campus, the same report determined.

Both middle and high school students also appear to be considering alternative postsecondary routes more seriously beyond the acquisition of a college degree. A 2024 survey published by national nonprofit American Student Assistance found just 45% of grades 7-12 students reported that they view a two- or four-year college as the most likely next step. That is a significant decline from 73% in 2018.

Meanwhile, ASA discovered that student enthusiasm for nondegree education options increased more than threefold from 12% in 2018 to 38% in 2024. These alternative options are vocational schools, apprenticeships and technical boot camps.

The cost of higher education is generally believed to be too expensive, as the majority of U.S. adults perceive that it costs more to get a college degree than it actually does, a report published in May by Strada stated. Such a misconception may also be leading some to forego higher education, the report further stated.

But the reality is that even though sticker prices for tuition have been going up at private nonprofit colleges, for instance, increasingly more students are still receiving sizable financial aid packages from them.