As of May 2013, total outstanding student loan debt in the United States had reached $1.2 trillion, up from $1 trillion fewer than 18 months before. The growth in debt is due primarily to increases in both the rate of borrowing and the average amount borrowed, especially among graduates of 4-year institutions. In 1989-90, about half (51 percent)…

Dropping out of high school is related to a number of negative outcomes. For example, the median income of persons ages 18 through 67 who had not completed high school was roughly $26,000 in 2013. By comparison, the median income of persons ages 18 through 67 who completed their education with at least a high school credential (i.e., a regular…

Until the late 1990s, "vocational education" in traditional trades such as carpentry, cosmetology, and auto mechanics was often the presumptive high school placement for low-performing students considered ill-suited for college. However, in the past two decades, policymakers and educators have reconsidered what is now referred to as…

Do schools reduce or perpetuate inequality by race and family income? Most studies conclude that schools play only a small role in explaining socioeconomic and racial disparities in educational outcomes, but they usually draw this conclusion based solely on test scores. We reconsider this finding using longitudinal data on test scores and…

The National Center for Educational Statistics, in conjunction with the U.S. Department of Education, compiles statistical data for U.S. schools. As charts indicate, in 2001, it reported that nationwide, 76% of high-income graduates immediately enroll in colleges or trade schools. However, only 49% of Hispanic and 59% of African Americans enroll…

The main controversy as a result of the commercialisation of international education markets is that international students especially those from China are unable to perform as well as UK students in UK universities. So far, research has yet to identify the influence of placements on the academic performance of Chinese students from entry to…

The Longitudinal Surveys of Australian Youth (LSAY) program studies the progress of several groups of young Australians as they move from school into post-secondary education and work. This technical paper contains the frequency tables for the LSAY 2009 cohort Wave 2 (2010) data set.

In this article, the authors summarize their 15 years of research on graduate education in economics in the United States. They examine all stages of the process, from the undergraduate origins of eventual economics PhDs to their attrition and time-to-degree outcomes. For PhD completers, the authors examine job market outcomes, research…

The No Child Left Behind Act requires states to publish high school graduation rates for public schools; the U.S. Department of Education is currently considering a mandate to standardize high school graduation rate reporting. However, no consensus exists among researchers or policymakers about how to measure high school graduation rates. We use…

This report displays, in tabular format, four sets of outcomes, each based on a distinct set of students: (1) Participation (percent of high school graduates enrolled in any public or private college in Ohio); (2) Preparation (course-taking data from surveys that students complete when they register for exams); (3) Remedial Course Enrollment (for…

This report displays, in tabular format, four sets of outcomes, each based on a distinct set of students: (1) Participation (percent of high school graduates enrolled in any public or private college in Ohio); (2) Preparation (course-taking data from surveys that students complete when they register for exams); (3) Remedial Course Enrollment (for…

The collection of dropout statistics is discussed from the perspective of the National Education Longitudinal Study of 1988 (NELS:88). The NELS:88 follows a cohort of 1988 eighth graders over time and is designed to provide trend data about transitions experienced as students progress through the educational system. Dropout statistics are provided…

The High School and Beyond Senior Cohort Third Follow-Up Data File is provided. The data tape contains the following files: (1) the raw data file for each respondent (randomized identification number; first follow-up flags and composites; base year questionnaire and test data; first follow-up questionnaire data; dropout questionnaire data;…

The Office of Research and Evaluation of the Austin (Texas) Independent School District (AISD) has been monitoring the dropout situation in the AISD since 1983-84. In July 1986, a computerized database, the Secondary Student Longitudinal File, was constructed to enable tracking of the enrollment of any group of students beginning with the 1983-84…

The 1990 National Postsecondary Student Aid Study (NPSAS:90) is the second in a series of federally funded surveys of enrolled postsecondary students. Its key purpose is to portray accurately the characteristics of these students, particularly recipients of student aid. Results will answer questions about recipients and sources of federal and…