There is a long-standing debate over the value of certain postsecondary programs in facilitating employment after graduation. The National Graduate Survey (2005) was used to examine how graduates of various programs differ in their pursuits of higher education, employment status, job-program relatedness and job qualifications. Results suggest that…

This paper analyses whether tertiary education of different types, i.e., academic or vocational tertiary education, leads to more or less favorable labor market outcomes. We study the problem for Switzerland, where more than two thirds of the workforce gain vocational secondary degrees and a substantial number go on to a vocational tertiary degree…

This study examines the influence that field of study and level of post-secondary education have on the earnings of recent graduates in Ontario. Graduates of trades, community college, and university programs are compared. Results suggest that graduates of applied and technical programs obtain higher earnings within two years of graduation than…

Greater numbers of Latinas are participating in postsecondary education, however these gains have not resulted in increased graduation rates. This study examines the lived experiences of 36 Latina baccalaureate graduates to gain a deeper understanding of how they achieved this important educational goal. The primary conclusion of this…

During the course of the National Longitudinal Study of the High School Class of 1972 (NLS), a tremendous amount of data will be collected on the educational, vocational, and personal development of high school graduates, and the personal, familial, social, institutional, and cultural factors that contribute to that development. Information of a…

The activities and experiences of students who were high school seniors in 1980 were surveyed four years later. Data were provided from the High School and Beyond base-year survey (1980), the first follow-up in 1982, and the second in the spring of 1984, focusing on the graduates' educational, vocational, socioeconomic and familial status, and…

Seniors participating in the National Longitudinal Study of the High School Class of 1972 (NLS) were surveyed in October 1973 and April 1974 as part of the first followup study. Subpopulations were classified according to sex; high school program (general, academic, or vocational); race (black, white, or Spanish American); ability; family…

An efficiency study was conducted of the base year design used for the National Longitudinal Study of the High School Class of 1972 (NLS). Finding the optimal design involved a search for the numbers of sample schools and students that would maximize the variance at a given cost. Twenty-one variables describing students' plans, attitudes,…

Drawing from reports of rural graduates' insights, the study examined whether graduates of small school districts serving rural areas systematically differ from graduates of more metropolitan school districts. Primary data were collected during a four-year longitudinal study of students attending small schools serving rural areas (Project Rural).…

The first set of National Longitudinal Study (NLS) data was analyzed to derive composite scores to be used in subsequent analyses. The composites include a general ability measure, a socioeconomic status (SES) index, and factor scores from factor analyses of sets of question items measuring goals, attitudes, and other psychological attributes. The…

At the time of the First Followup Survey, approximately 18 months after graduation, sixty-five percent of the members of the High School Class of 1972 were unemployed, and eight percent were out of work. Forty-two percent were taking academic courses in a college or university. Graduates of the vocational high school curriculum were employed at…

The study examines trends among students and graduates of the Minnesota Area Vocational Technical Institutes (AVTIs). Some of the data were gathered yearly between 1970-71 and 1973-74; some were gathered yearly between 1971-72 and 1973-74. Seventeen selected variables were reviewed. Relatively minor changes occurred over the years on seven of the…

Determinants of postsecondary education were examined for high school graduates in 1980 to determine whether minority students achieved good rates of enrollment and attainment; and to assess the relative importance of demographic characteristics, achievement in high school, and students' expectations. Data obtained from the High School and Beyond…

At the time of the First Followup Survey of the members of the High School Class of 1972, approximately 18 months after graduation, sixty-five percent were unemployed, and eight percent were out of work. Forty-two percent were taking academic courses in a college or university. Graduates of the vocational high school curriculum were employed at…

Data from the National Longitudinal Study of the High School Class of 1972 were used in a study to investigate the relative effectiveness of high school grades and standardized aptitude test scores, together with demographic characteristics, in predicting early postsecondary educational activity of high school seniors. Self concept and locus of…