Postsecondary Outcomes for
Low-income Students in Utah

Published October 2022

Overview

This research uses data from the Utah State Board of Education (USBE) and Utah System of Higher Education (USHE) to examine postsecondary outcomes for low-income students from Utah high school cohorts from 2012 to 2014. Statistical tests were applied to study the relationship between low-income status and various postsecondary outcomes, including enrollment, cumulative GPA, award, drop-out pattern, time to enrollment, time to award, and time to drop out.

Understanding low-income students' postsecondary outcomes may be valuable as education attainment could potentially increase students' productivity and long-term wages. Completing any postsecondary program is associated with higher wages and increased general consumption. This increase in consumption benefits the state from increased economic activity and potential sales tax revenue. While UDRC has investigated the workforce and career metrics of those who experienced intergenerational poverty, the current study focuses on low-income students' education outcomes to develop a deeper understanding of the challenges they face as they pursue postsecondary education.

Summary of Findings:

Finding 1: The postsecondary enrollment and awards rates are significantly lower for low-income students than in the control group.

For all low-income students, 38% enrolled in postsecondary education, while 56% of the control group enrolled in postsecondary education.

Finding 2: Among students who enrolled at a degree-granting institution, low-income students experience a significantly longer time to enroll, lower GPA, and higher drop-out rates.

The length of time to enroll at a degree-granting institution is statistically significantly longer for low-income students than for the control group.

Finding 3: This study found no significant difference in time to enrollment or time to certificate at technical colleges between low-income students and the control group.

For all students who enrolled at a technical college, it took 2.6 years on average for low-income students to enroll after high school completion, while it took 2.7 years on average for the control group to enroll.

Finding 4: Low-income students enroll at and graduate from postsecondary institutions at a lower rate than their peers.

Among all students, the proportion of low-income students who did not enroll in postsecondary education is strikingly larger than the proportion of the control group.

Finding 1: The postsecondary enrollment and awards rate are significantly lower for low-income students than the control group

Among all students
in this research,
30%
were low-income
students.

For all students
who received at least
one postsecondary award,
18%
were low-income students.

Major Findings

  • Overall, 50% of the students enrolled in at least one postsecondary institution.
  • For all low-income students, 38% enrolled in postsecondary education, while 56% of the control group enrolled in a postsecondary institution.
  • Among all enrolled students, 23% were low-income students.
  • Among those who enrolled in a postsecondary institution, 44% received at least one postsecondary award prior to 2022.
  • For low-income students, 34% received at least one postsecondary award, while 47% of the control group received at least one award.
Figure 1: This figure shows the percentage of students in the low-income group and control group by demographics group.

Finding 2: Among students who enrolled at a degree-granting institution, low-income students experienced a significantly longer time to enroll, lower GPA, and higher drop-out rates

Among students who
enrolled at a
degree-granting
institution
22%
were low-income
students.

Among students who
received a degree at a
degree-granting
institution,
16%
were low-income
students.

Major Findings

  • Among those who enrolled at a degree-granting institution, 78% were students from the control group, while 22% were low-income students.
  • The length of time to enroll at a degree-granting institution is statistically significantly longer for low-income students than the control group. However, the average difference between the two groups was less than five months (0.4 years).
  • The average GPA for students in the control group was 2.74, while the average GPA for low-income students was 2.35.
  • Controlling for the level of attainment, the length of time to receive a degree is not significantly different for low-income students than the control group, or the difference is less than two months (0.15 years).
  • Out of all students who enrolled in a degree-granting institution, 44% have dropped out. For the control group, 40% of students dropped out, while 56% of the low-income students dropped out.
Figure 2: The following is a complex dashboard showing several figures. The top section illustrates the number of students enrolled, dropped-out, and awarded a diploma at degree-granting institutions. The lower part of the graphic is a line graph indicating the enrollment of 2012-2014 cohorts and the influence that missions for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, other ecclesiastical sabbaticals, and military participation may have on enrollment.


Finding 3: This study found no significant difference in time to enrollment or time to certificate at technical colleges between low-income students and the control group

Among students who
enrolled at a
technical college,
28%
were low-income
students.

Among students who
received a certificate
from a technical college,
27%
were low-income
students.

Major Findings

  • For all students who enrolled at a technical college, it took 2.6 years on average for low-income students to enroll after high school completion, while it took 2.7 years on average for the control group to enroll.
  • For all students who received a certificate from a technical college, it took low-income students 158 days on average, while it took the control group 154 days on average.
  • For the control group, 30% of students dropped out of technical colleges, while 35% of the low-income students dropped out. Among those who dropped out, 32% were low-income students.
  • The average length of time before dropping out is three days shorter for low-income students compared to the control group.
Figure 3: This figure illustrates the number of students enrolled, dropped-out, and awarded a diploma at technical colleges.

Finding 4: Low-income students enroll at and graduate from postsecondary institutions at a lower rate than their peers

Among all low-income
students,
13%
received a
postsecondary
award.

Among low-income
students who enrolled at
a postsecondary
institution,
40%
dropped out.

Major Findings

  • Among all students, the proportion of low-income students who did not enroll in postsecondary education is strikingly larger than the proportion of the control group.
  • Among students who enrolled in postsecondary education, a smaller proportion of low-income students completed a postsecondary award, a smaller proportion of low-income students are currently pursuing an award, and a larger proportion of the students who dropped out.
Figure 4: This figure illustrates the number of students enrolled, dropped-out, and awarded a diploma at degree-granting institutions.

Limitations

  • Low-income students are identified by using the last high school enrollment record. However, this method does not distinguish between long-term and short-term poverty.
  • The statistical tests do not establish causal relationships. Having significant differences does not imply being low-income causes poor postsecondary achievements.
  • Postsecondary outcomes only include enrollment and awards data from a public college or university in the Utah System of Higher Education (USHE).

Conclusion

  • Being low-income in high school was associated with a lower postsecondary enrollment rate, lower postsecondary awards rate, lower GPA, and higher drop-out rates.
  • Compared to the control group, fewer low-income students enrolled at postsecondary institutions, and fewer obtained a postsecondary award.
  • Drop-out rates among low-income students were significantly higher than their peers.
  • Though the difference in award rates was statistically significant, the differences in timeframes for awards were not as significant. This result suggested that low-income students with sufficient knowledge about their educational options and resources to pursue a postsecondary award could achieve the award in a similar timeframe as their peers.

Full Report

Learn more about college readiness and postsecondary education outcomes

Learn more about educational outcomes for low-income students. Following USBE cohorts from 2012 to 2014, this study examined the statistical significance of postsecondary differences between low-income students and their peers. Enrollment rate, GPA, awards rate, drop-out rate, time to enrollment, and time to awards for low-income students and their peers are studied. Overall, being low-income in high school was associated with a lower postsecondary enrollment rate, lower postsecondary awards rate, lower GPA, and higher drop-out rates.

Utah low-income students report cover

Glossary

Project
Team

Karen Tao

Researcher
(Analysis/
Report Author)

Laura Dahl, PhD

UX Researcher
(Graphics/
Web Design)