The Effect of Having Non-Native Born Parents on Their Children's Educational Attainment in the U.S

This paper investigates the factors that affect educational attainment levels in the United States, specifically studying the impact of having non-native born parents. The model was exercised using different data sets to test the stability and consistency of the results. Estimation results from the panel data for 2006-2016 and the data sets for 2013 and 2018 show that having non-native born parents is a significant factor in correlation with lower educational attainment levels. This paper also demonstrates the obstacles that certain students may face at home (such as larger family size, lower family income, etc.), that may also influence their success in their academia. The results for being Hispanic consistently showed a negative correlation with educational attainment levels in all three models, demonstrating that this group may be experiencing certain disadvantages in higher education. Further analysis of educational attainment levels by race and other demographic factors reveal additional insights.