Impacts of Childbearing on College Success: A Study of Two Generations

Using descriptive statistics and logistic regressions, this study compared U.S. Census data from 22–24-year-old women in 1980 and 2020 to determine the individual and contextual variables most predictive of bachelor’s degree attainment. The regressions were conducted for women overall, women who have ever enrolled in college, mothers, and mothers who have ever enrolled in college. There were several major findings from this study. First, having a child is the strongest negative predictor of degree completion by age 24 in both census years. Second, there has been drastic reductions in the marriage rate among women in their early twenties. The regressions showed marriage was a negative predictor of degree completion for women in 1980, it was no longer statistically significant in 2020, and it was a positive predictor of degree attainment for mothers in both census years, indicating an evolution of marriage across generations. Third, where women and mothers live plays an important role in degree attainment. Region and metropolitan area were consistently statistically significant indicators of degree attainment across both census years, with the Northeast and metropolitan regions showing the highest probability of degree attainment in comparison to the control. Further, the descriptive statistics showed a large increase in the prevalence of women with and without children who are living in multigenerational homes. Finally, race and ethnicity are consistently statistically significant predictors of degree attainment, with Asian American women having the highest probability of earning a degree by age 24 in nearly every scenario tested while African American, Hispanic, and Native American women were usually less likely than White women to complete a degree by age 24.

Grantor dc:publisher

University of Kansas

Year dc:date.issued

2024

Author dc:creator

• Beets, Kimberly

Advisors dc:contributor.advisor

• Wolf-Wendel, Lisa
• Rury, John

• Higher education
• census data
• generational change
• history of higher education
• logistic regression
• mothers in higher education
• women's education

Statement dc:rights

• Copyright held by the author.

Language dc:language.iso

en

Dc Identifier Other

http://dissertations.umi.com/ku:19421

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:kuscholarworks.ku.edu:1808/38607