Capital for College: Parental Assets and Postsecondary Schooling

Conley, Dalton

doi:10.2307/2673145

Cited by 325Intergenerational and Educational Inequality StudiesHigher Education Research StudiesSocial and Cultural Dynamics

Capital for College: Parental Assets and Postsecondary Schooling

Conley, Dalton·2001·Sociology of Education

DOI 10.2307/2673145

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Abstract

This article argues that traditional models of educational attainment have neglected a substantial portion of the economic resources available to parents to facilitate their children's success in schooling: wealth. In multigenerational analyses of the Panel Study of Income Dynamics, it demonstrates that parental wealth, as measured by net worth, has a strong, nonlinear effect on the postsecondary schooling of offspring-net of income and other measures of socioeconomic background. Logistic regression models show that parental wealth is a strong predictor of enrollment in college and may affect the completion of college (attaining a bachelor's degree) but is not significant for the transition to graduate school. A comparison of models in which wealth is converted into an income stream and then added to annual income and models in which the effects of parental income and net worth are estimated separately indicates that wealth has properties that are analytically distinct from income

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Family wealth is a distinct form of economic advantage that can shape higher education outcomes, above and beyond family income.
“Family wealth is a distinct form of economic advantage that can shape higher education outcomes, above and beyond family income (Conley, 2001; Pfeffer, 2018).”
From Wealth, Race, and Under-Addressed Financial Need in Federal Student Aid Policy (2025) · cites this paper as Conley, 2001
Family wealth provides a vital, and vastly unequal, form of financial support for college.
“family wealth provides a vital, and vastly unequal, form of financial support for college (Conley, 2001; Pfeffer, 2018).”
From Wealth, Race, and Under-Addressed Financial Need in Federal Student Aid Policy (2025) · cites this paper as Conley, 2001
Existing research indicates that wealth inequalities permeate the entire postsecondary trajectory, from college access to completion.
“existing research indicates that wealth inequalities permeate the entire postsecondary trajectory, from college access to completion (Braga etal., 2017; Conley, 2001; Hotz etal. 2023; Jez, 2014; Pfeffer, 2018).”
From Wealth, Race, and Under-Addressed Financial Need in Federal Student Aid Policy (2025) · cites this paper as Conley, 2001

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“…et al. 1998; Keister 2000, 2004; Oliver & Shapiro 2006; but see also Hanna et al. 2010), which may contribute to the race gap in wealth as well (Altonji & Doraszelski 2005, Conley 2001b, Gittleman & Wolff 2004, Hurst et al. 1998, Keister 2000, Menchik & Jianakoplos 1997, Oliver & Shapiro 2006).”
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Authors: Conley, D.
Affiliations: New York University (US)
Corresponding author: Conley, Dalton
ORCID: Conley, Dalton
Venue: Sociology of Education
Publisher: JSTOR
Published: 2001-01
Volume: 74
Issue: 1
Pages: 59
ISSN: 0038-0407 (ISSN-L)
DOI: 10.2307/2673145
OpenAlex: W2061008715
Cited by: 325
References: 24
Citations by year: 2026: 4 · 2025: 14 · 2024: 7 · 2023: 9 · 2022: 10 · 2021: 8 · 2020: 16 · 2019: 11 · 2018: 21 · 2017: 16 · 2016: 20 · 2015: 17 · 2014: 22 · 2013: 15 · 2012: 21
FWCI: 12.37
Type: journal article
Language: en
Open access: closed
Locations: Sociology of Education (publishedVersion)
Topics: Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Intergenerational and Educational Inequality Studies
Social Sciences › Education › Higher Education Research Studies
Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Social and Cultural Dynamics
Keywords: parental wealth, net worth, college enrollment, college completion, graduate school, educational attainment, parental income, intergenerational transmission, Panel Study of Income Dynamics

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Capital for College: Parental Assets and Postsecondary Schooling

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