Rural youths often feel compelled to leave their home communities to seek new opportunities, especially at the secondary-postsecondary educational transition. These decisions are driven in part by perceived developmental imperatives to leave rural regions given messages that success is best achieved elsewhere. The present study used the framework…

There remains a need in education scholarship to understand how social processes act across levels to influence one another, drive cultural norms, and direct students' postsecondary pursuits, with careful consideration of students' held identities and the communities in which they are embedded. Utilizing narrative constitution of identity and the…

The charter school movement encompasses many school models. In Massachusetts in the 2010's, the site of our study, urban charter schools primarily used "No Excuses" practices, whereas nonurban charters had greater model variety. Using randomized admissions lotteries, we estimate the impact of charter schools by locality on college…

Using a mixed-methods approach, this study examines the college expectations of high school students in Hanoi, Vietnam. Findings from a survey of approximately 4,000 students and interviews with 76 students, teachers, and school leaders revealed that the majority of students planned to apply to college. However, rural students had significantly…

Utilizing a lottery-based natural experiment, this study assessed the longer-term impact of early colleges on postsecondary degree attainment. It found that early colleges significantly increased the overall degree completion and associate degree completion rates within 10 years of expected high school graduation. While the impact on bachelor's…

Rural students in the United States have a lower likelihood of entering and completing college compared with their non-rural peers, despite strong high school graduation rates. Postsecondary attendance and degree attainment gaps observed across geographic regions present equity and access concerns in the high school-to-higher education pipeline.…

Many people living in rural areas are aware of the impacts of climate change and often have climate beliefs that are aligned with the scientific consensus. However, climate change conversations in rural communities may be seen as divisive, political, and potential sources of conflict in the community. We describe a rural/urban collaboration…

Previous research highlights STEM educational inequities within various demographic groupings. However, little research explores the role of geography in STEM talent development. The present study assesses interest in and progression toward postsecondary STEM credentials among nonmetropolitan high school students (including rural areas and small…

This qualitative research study was designed to examine potential differences in the transition to college for rural and non-rural first-generation college students. In addition, the study also aimed to examine how students' other identities (including ethnic and socioeconomic identities) may have impacted their transition to college. Participants…

Dual enrollment, where students take college classes while in high school, is a promising strategy to increase postsecondary access and attainment. Dual enrollment may be particularly important for rural students, who often have limited access to advanced coursework and are less likely to attend college. However, little is known about how dual…

This article reports on a study that investigated the impact that scores in prerequisite high school subjects and location had on academic performance of first-time entering students registered for the National Higher Certificate (NHC) Accountancy qualification in the 2012 and 2013 academic years at Walter Sisulu University (WSU), Butterworth…

The mission of the University of Wisconsin System is to provide Wisconsin's high school graduates with opportunities to cultivate "intellectual, cultural, and humane sensitivities, scientific, professional and technological expertise, and a sense of purpose." Further, as part of its 2020 strategic plan to meet state workforce needs, the…

The National College Entrance Examination (NCEE) is a high-stakes test in China that determines which higher education institution an individual can attend. Since 2014, China has launched a comprehensive reform pilot of the NCEE in Zhejiang and Shanghai, allowing students more flexibility in their subjects' choice. This study examines the…

Chinese rural students are less privileged than their urban counterparts in accessing Chinese elite universities. Existing studies widely follow a Bourdieusian explanation for this discrepancy in access, focusing on rural parents' capital deficit in their children's education. However, research also shows that Chinese rural parents hold higher…

The decisions that students make about their educational attainment have profound impacts on their future economic, demographic, and social outcomes. These decisions, however, do not happen in a vacuum. There is a long tradition of research in sociology, education, and behavioral economics that has studied inequality in educational decision making…