Characteristics of First-generation Students

• First-generation students differ from other students in terms of age and enrollment characteristics.

Among students who began their postsecondary education in 1995–96, first-generation students were more likely than others to be 24 years or older (table 4). If they were younger than 24 and financially dependent on their parents (as most students that age are), they were more likely than others to be in the lowest family income quartile. They were less likely than other students to have taken the SAT or ACT tests (which reflects the fact that they were also less likely to enroll in 4-year institutions; see table 5). If they did take one of these tests, they were more likely than those whose parents had bachelor’s degrees or higher to have scored in the lowest quartile (table 4).

Compared with other students, first-generation students were less likely to enroll in 4-year institutions, and to attend full time over a full year (table 5). In addition, first-generation students who worked while enrolled (as 70 percent did) were more likely than others to consider themselves to be primarily employees who were enrolled in school (as opposed to being primarily students) (Kojaku and Nuñez 1998).

• As a group, first-generation students at 4-year institutions appear to begin college less academically prepared than other students.

Based on what is known about their high school experiences, there is some evidence that first-generation students who began at 4-year institutions in 1995–96 were less well prepared academically than their peers whose parents had bachelor’s or advanced degrees. In high school, they were less likely to follow a rigorous curriculum, take calculus, SAT or ACT examinations, or take an advanced placement test (table 6).