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Percentage of First-Generation Students Declines between 1996 and 2020. Research Brief

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Title: Percentage of First-Generation Students Declines between 1996 and 2020. Research Brief
Language: English
Authors: Sean Simone, Pell Institute for the Study of Opportunity in Higher Education
Source: Pell Institute for the Study of Opportunity in Higher Education. 2025.
Availability: Pell Institute for the Study of Opportunity in Higher Education. 1025 Vermont Avenue NW Suite 1020, Washington, DC 20005. Tel: 202-638-2887; Fax: 202-638-3808; e-mail: info@pellinstitute.org; Web site: http://www.pellinstitute.org
Peer Reviewed: N
Page Count: 3
Publication Date: 2025
Document Type: Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education
Postsecondary Education
Descriptors: First Generation College Students, Educational Trends, Trend Analysis, College Students, Student Financial Aid, National Surveys, Declining Enrollment, Enrollment Trends
Assessment and Survey Identifiers: National Postsecondary Student Aid Study (NCES), Current Population Survey
Abstract: This brief examines national trends in the representation of first-generation college students over a 24-year period. Using data from the National Postsecondary Student Aid Study (NPSAS) and the U.S. Census Bureau's Current Population Survey (CPS), the analysis finds a significant decline in the proportion of first-generation students enrolled in U.S. colleges and universities--from 66 percent in 1996 to 53 percent in 2020. The brief explores possible explanations for this decline, including both demographic and systemic factors. While a greater share of the adult population now holds a bachelor's degree--reducing the pool of first-generation students overall--barriers to access, affordability, and information remain persistent. Key findings include: (1) Sharp decline in representation: The proportion of first-generation students enrolled in postsecondary education dropped from 66% in 1996 to 53% in 2020; (2) Rising parental education levels: Over the same period, the share of U.S. adults aged 25 and older holding a bachelor's degree rose from 24% to 38%, indicating an increasingly educated population that reduces the overall pool of first-generation students; and (3) Two likely explanations for the trend: (1) Colleges and universities may be enrolling fewer first-generation students; and (2) The population of first-generation students itself is shrinking as more parents earn college degrees.
Abstractor: ERIC
Entry Date: 2025
Accession Number: ED677330
Database: ERIC
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  Data: This brief examines national trends in the representation of first-generation college students over a 24-year period. Using data from the National Postsecondary Student Aid Study (NPSAS) and the U.S. Census Bureau's Current Population Survey (CPS), the analysis finds a significant decline in the proportion of first-generation students enrolled in U.S. colleges and universities--from 66 percent in 1996 to 53 percent in 2020. The brief explores possible explanations for this decline, including both demographic and systemic factors. While a greater share of the adult population now holds a bachelor's degree--reducing the pool of first-generation students overall--barriers to access, affordability, and information remain persistent. Key findings include: (1) Sharp decline in representation: The proportion of first-generation students enrolled in postsecondary education dropped from 66% in 1996 to 53% in 2020; (2) Rising parental education levels: Over the same period, the share of U.S. adults aged 25 and older holding a bachelor's degree rose from 24% to 38%, indicating an increasingly educated population that reduces the overall pool of first-generation students; and (3) Two likely explanations for the trend: (1) Colleges and universities may be enrolling fewer first-generation students; and (2) The population of first-generation students itself is shrinking as more parents earn college degrees.
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