Volume 10, Number 2 (Spring) 1975
Christensen, Sandra, John Melder, and Burton A. Weisbrod. 1975. "Factors Affecting College Attendance." Journal of Human Resources 10(2):174-188.
Three factors that may influence a high school graduate's decision to attend college are considered: (1) his ability, (2) the cost of attending college, and (3) the socioeconomic status of his parents. The results, based on a probit analysis, indicate that factors (1) and (3) are strong influences on the probability of attending college. Among the socioeconomic variables, however, family income is the least important influence on college attendance. The low income elasticity of demand for college implies that unrestricted income transfers to the low income population would not be an effective way of increasing their rate of college attendance.
This study was initiated by the late John Melder as part of his proposed Ph.D. dissertation at the University of Wisconsin and was completed by Sandra Christensen and Burton A. Weisbrod. Christensen is Assistant Professor of Economics, Simon Fraser University, and Weisbrod is Professor of Economics and of Educational Policy Studies, University of Wisconsin, and a Fellow of the University's Institute for Research on Poverty.
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US ISSN 0022-166X