Access to Post-Secondary Education Among the First and Second Generation Children of Canadian Immigrants

This paper exploits the extremely rich Youth in Transition Survey (YITS) data to investigate access to post‐secondary education (PSE) among the children of immigrants in Canada. The YITS respondents considered to be the children of immigrants in this paper include: i) those who came to this country as immigrants themselves but arrived early enough to complete their primary schooling and take advantage of PSE opportunities in Canada and ii) those who were born in Canada to parents who were immigrants. The results show that these first and second generation immigrants are, overall, considerably more likely to attend PSE than non‐immigrant youth, that these differences are driven principally by higher university participation rates rather than by college attendance, and that the patterns vary a great deal by source country. The immigrant differences are partly explained by certain demographic characteristics (e.g., province of residence and living in a city), by immigrants’ parents’ relatively high education levels, and by other observable factors such as parental aspirations regarding their children’s education. However, substantial differences.

We exploit the Youth in Transition Survey, Cohort A, to investigate access and barriers to postsecondary education (PSE). We first look at how access to PSE by age 21 is related to family characteristics, including family income and parental education. We find that the effects of the latter significantly dominate those of the former. Among the 25% of all youths who do not access PSE, 23% of this group state that they had no PSE aspirations and 43% report no barriers. Only 22% of the 25% who do not access PSE (or 5.5% of all youths in our sample) claim that “finances” constitute a barrier. Further analysis suggests that affordability per se is an issue in only a minority of those cases where finances are cited, suggesting that the real problem for the majority of those reporting financial barriers may be that they do not perceive PSE to be of sufficient value to be worth pursuing: “it costs too much” may mean “it is not worth it” rather than “I cannot afford to go.” Our general conclusion is that cultural factors are the principal determinants of PSE participation. Policy implications are discussed.

The OECD (2012) recently noted that post-secondary education (PSE) participation rates in Canada will need to continue to expand as the population ages and as the needs of the knowledge-based economy increase. With many groups already participating at high rates, much of this expansion will have to come from groups which are currently underrepresented in PSE (especially at the university level), including Aboriginals, the disabled, rural students, and students from low-income families. Children from families where neither parent has completed any level of PSE also represent an important under-represented group – and one that broadly cuts across (and is related to) the other specific groups just mentioned. This paper presents the results of an analysis of the factors – with a focus on the "cultural factors" – which favour PSE participation among those children who come from such families. Our findings identify a range of effects which could hold important clues as to why some children from families without a history of PSE go on to access PSE while others do not, and thus point to how these rates could potentially be increased through policy measures. Furthermore, those measures, being focused on cultural factors rather than the financial barriers that have been concentrated on in the past (tuition fees, student aid, etc.) may in some cases not only be more effective in changing behaviour, but may do so at lower cost. Only further research can help us identify which policies work, which do not, and which are most cost effective.

This article presents an empirical analysis of access to post-secondary education (PSE) as it pertains to students in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) programs, who are vital to the nation’s economic performance, especially with respect to its information and communication technology (ICT) sector. The analysis is based on the rich Youth in Transition Survey, Cohort A (YITS–A), which follows a representative sample of Canadian youth age 15 in 1999 through to the normal point at which PSE decisions are made. The main findings include that female students go into STEM disciplines at a much lower rate than male students, even after controlling for a broad set of control variables, including high school grades in math and science. Conversely, visible minorities, especially those who are first-generation immigrants, and particularly those from a specific set of regions, participate at much higher rates than others. These results have implications for the ICT talent pool of the future.

This study examines the feasibility of reporting scores of a test based on the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) 2000 instrument that was administered to a sample of 25-year-old Youth in Transition Survey (YITS) respondents on the PISA scale. Each of these respondents also participated in PISA 2000. The study examines the considerations for estimating proficiency estimates for the YITS 2010 sample and describes the methods recommended for analyzing the data. The results indicate that, despite much higher performance, there is no ceiling effect in the YITS 2010 sample for the PISA items. Although the estimated scores for the YITS 2010 sample should not be misconstrued as true =PISA results,‘ there is no technical impediment to reporting them on the PISA scale and examining the differences between these results and the PISA 2000 results.

This paper exploits the longitudinal Youth in Transition Survey, Cohort A (YITSA) to investigate access and barriers to post-secondary education (PSE) in Canada. The paper first looks at how access by age 21 is related to family background characteristics, including family income and parental education. The effects of the latter are found to dominate those of the former. Attention is then turned towards the 25 percent of youths who do not access PSE and the barriers they face. Twenty-three percent of this group state that they had no aspirations for PSE and 43 percent report they face no barriers. Conversely, 22 percent (5.5 percent of all youths in our sample) claim that “finances” constitute a barrier. Further analysis suggests, however, that affordability is an issue in only a minority of those cases, suggesting that the majority of those reporting financial barriers simply do not perceive PSE to be of sufficient value to be worth pursuing. Our general conclusion is that “cultural” factors are the principal determinants of PSE participation in Canada.

This research uses the Youth in Transition Survey, Reading Cohort (“YITS-A”) to analyse access to post-secondary education (PSE) in Québec in comparison to other Canadian provinces and regions. We begin by presenting access rates by region and show that university participation rates in Québec are relatively low, while college rates are high in comparison to other provinces, although these differences are presumably due in part to the cégep system in Québec. We then undertake an econometric analysis which reveals that the effects of parental education on access to PSE are much stronger than the effects of family income, and are relatively uniform across the country. The substantially weaker family income effects (stronger for females than males) figure most importantly for the Atlantic Provinces, but much less elsewhere, including in Québec. We also find that the relationships between test scores from the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), which measures academic ‘‘performance’’ and ‘‘ability’’ and even more so high school grades, differ by province, and are generally strongest in Ontario and weakest in Québec, again perhaps in part due to the cégep system which represents a mediating influence between high school performance and university attendance, in particular. Males are much less likely to attend university across the country, but this gap is widest in Quebec. Our analysis of traditionally under-represented and minority groups points to students from rural Québec actually being at no disadvantage in terms of PSE participation, second-generation immigrants doing especially well in comparison to other provinces, but more recent first-generation immigrants not faring nearly so well in Québec. Finally, young Québecers who do not go on to PSE (especially the Francophone majority) are much more likely than other Canadian youths to say that they simply have no aspirations to attend PSE, and to otherwise say they face no barriers to attending PSE. Policy implications are discussed using a fiscal lens.

This paper exploits the unprecedented rich information available in the Canadian Youth in Transition Survey, Sample A (YITS‐A) to investigate issues related to access to postsecondary education (PSE). The questions we ask are basically two‐fold: i) What are the various influences on access to PSE of an individual’s background, including more traditional measures such as family income and parental education, as well as a broader set of measures such as high school grades, social/academic “engagement,” and other cognitive and behavioural influences? and ii) How does including such a more extensive set of variables than has been possible in previous studies change the estimated effects of the more conventionally measured family/parental influences (family income and parental education) on access to PSE, and thus indicate how much of the latter influences operate through (or otherwise proxy) the effects of the broader set of variables, thereby isolating the direct – as opposed to indirect – influence of these traditional measures on access? Utilizing multinomial logit models to capture the choice of level of PSE (i.e., college versus university) we find that parental income is positively related to university attendance, while having only a minor effect on college, but this effect is greatly diminished once parental education is included in the estimation. Similarly, the importance of parental education to university attendance is somewhat diminished once certain measures of high school grades, academic “engagement,” and a standardised reading test score are included – although, interestingly, these additional variables have little further affect on the family income influences. These results thus support other recent work which points to the importance of addressing earlier cognitive and behavioural influences, and family “culture” more generally as captured by parental education, in effecting change in the rates and patterns of participation in PSE – although family income does remain a significant independent factor, albeit of significantly reduced influence.

The Youth in Transition Survey is used to follow the postsecondary education (PSE) pathways and outcomes of Canadian youth over the mid 2000s. Students starting at community colleges and four year universities are analyzed separately. First program outcomes are reported, showing the proportions of students who leave their first programs but remain in PSE by switching/transferring to other programs, institutions, or levels. Multinomial regression estimates correlates of students’ first program switching and leaving decisions. Five year graduation rates are calculated to show the importance of different pathways (across programs, institutions, and levels) to earning a PSE credential; in the aggregate and for subgroups of students. Transfers constitute important but not terribly large pathways for Canadian students to adjust their PSE and obtain PSE credentials. We calculate the resulting extent to which institution specific measures of persistence, PSE leaving, and graduation rates misstate the rates experienced by students. Compared to American students, university and community college starters in Canada have higher persistence and graduation rates and lower transfer rates across institutions. For community college starters, much of the difference is due to the relative lack of well defined pathways from community colleges to universities in Canada. We find that students with more family resources are better able to transfer across programs or institutions in order to obtain a PSE credential.

BackgroundPrior studies have found racial and ethnic disparities in cancer screenings, yet smaller minority ethnic groups are often aggregated.MethodsData from the 2021–2022 Community Health Resources and Needs Assessment (Cancer CHRNA) and the 2017–2020 NYC Community Health Survey (CHS) examined the prevalence of breast, cervical, and colorectal cancer screenings among Eastern European, Afro-Caribbean, Latine, Chinese, Korean, South Asian, and Southwest Asian and North African (SWANA) groups in New York City. Multivariable logistic regression models estimated adjusted relative risks of cancer screening outcomes by group.ResultsUp-to-date mammogram screening was low (< 70%) among all groups except Afro-Caribbean in the Cancer CHRNA; and among South Asian, Chinese, and Eastern European groups in the CHS. In logistic regression, South Asian and SWANA groups were less likely to have received an up-to-date mammogram compared to the Afro-Caribbean group in the Cancer CHRNA; no group differences were found in the CHS. Up-to-date Pap screening was low (< 70%) among all groups except Latina in the Cancer CHRNA; and among South Asian and Chinese groups in the CHS. In logistic regression, all other groups were less likely to have received an up-to-date Pap test compared to the Latina group in the Cancer CHRNA; and Chinese and South Asian groups were less likely to have received an up-to-date Pap test compared to the Latina group in the CHS. Up-to-date colonoscopy screening was low (< 70%) among all groups in the Cancer CHRNA; and among SWANA, South Asian, Chinese, and Eastern European groups in the CHS. In logistic regression, all groups except Chinese were less likely to have received an up-to-date colonoscopy compared to the Eastern European group in the Cancer CHRNA; and the Chinese and SWANA groups were less likely to have received an up-to-date colonoscopy compared to the Afro-Caribbean group in the CHS.ConclusionsDisparities in cancer screenings differed by screening type and survey, with larger disparities found among groups in the Cancer CHRNA. System level efforts are needed to monitor cancer screening disparities by disaggregating diverse groups; culturally tailored strategies should be used to raise awareness to increase screening.Clinical trial informationNot applicable.Supplementary InformationThe online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12885-025-14763-z.

This paper extends the current literature on access to post-secondary education by investigating the role played by various family background characteristics related to the home environment and family habits and behaviours. Exploiting the extraordinary richness of the Youth in Transition Survey in this regard, we include whether the family ate dinner together, whether they discussed current affairs, and how often their children went to concerts – and if so, what kind of concerts. Many of these factors are found to have a significant relationship with attending post-secondary education, university in particular. Furthermore, these factors are in addition to – and at least to some degree independent of – more conventional influences such as parental education and family income. With appeal to the paradigm of ‘cultural capital’ – which refers to the knowledge, experiences, and connections which help individuals succeed in life – these results indicate how advantages in accessing higher levels of education accrue to those from families that are rich in this kind of asset, while others are left behind.

Utilizing the first three cycles of the Canadian longitudinal Youth in Transition Survey (YITS), this paper analyses the educational pathways of 6,342 Canadian youth who at age 15 scored below the level considered necessary for effective functioning in a knowledge-based society. The concept of resilience is integrated into a broader sociological framework of acceptance of cultural goals and access to the means for achieving these goals. Within this framework, the multiple effects of two components of resilience on educational outcomes are assessed: a) the availability of social and institutional supports and b) youth’s own attitudes, values and behaviours that enabled some of them to overcome the obstacle associated with their limited reading performance. Multinomial logistic regression was used to show that a variety of possible measures of resilience differentiate between dropping out, completing high school, and participating in postsecondary education. Additionally, some aspects of resilience are more effective for avoiding the worst educational outcome (dropping out) while others appear to facilitate achieving the best outcome (participating in postsecondary education). The paper concludes that resilience is better viewed as a sensitizing than a theoretical concept.

This chapter provides a first glimpse at the results of Canada’s longitudinal study – the Youth in Transition Survey (YITS). Using 2006 as a reference point, when students were 21 years olds, it examines the various pathways taken by students to college, university and work since 2000. These pathways are critical in shaping the future educational, occupational and social outcomes of these individuals and hence are of considerable policy relevance. While linear pathways were most common to achieve a post-secondary education, they were not the only ones. The importance of achievement in PISA 2000 evidenced by the results presented in this chapter. High levels of competencies at age 15 are in general associated with linear pathways and higher educational attainment – notably, a university education – but many students also followed non-linear pathways (those shifting between education and work) to achieve a post-secondary education.

Based on twenty-seven craniodental measurements and ratios derived from them, the relationship between the African macaque (M. sylvanus) and the others in Asia were examined with principal components analyses (PCA) and Euclidean distance analysis based upon prior discriminant function analyses (DFA). Results based on analyses of raw measurements indicate that the variation between species lies in the first axis of PCA; the species are dispersed according to their differences in size. The variation between sexes (sexual dimorphism) lies in the second axis. In the analyses of ratio variables, though these two patterns of separation remain orthogonal, they lie at approximately forty-five degrees to each axis. Variables relating to anterior teeth were found to play an important role in variation analysis, and this may be related to the special food preferences of these monkeys: more frequent usage of the incisor teeth for processing frugivorous diets than in other primates that are mainly folivorous. The results from Euclidean distance analyses indicate that the average distance of species within the Asian group is shorter than that between Asian and African groups regardless of sex and variable type. In addition the variation between African and Asian groups is larger than that within Asian group. Thus, it is reasonable to suggest that the African macaque has a range of measurements and ratios quite distinct from the species found in Asia (though the greatest separations result from the analyses of ratio data). These results therefore support the view that M. sylvanus may be regarded as an independent species group in the genus Macaca as proposed by Delson [1980].

Despite several decades of postsecondary expansion, new research finds youth from northern and rural areas in Canada still experience difficulties making the transition to postsecondary education, and those who do attend take longer to do so. Proximity, we argue, may also have a considerable impact on one’s field selection, as many of Canada’s larger universities and colleges, who offer considerably more program and degree options, tend to be concentrated in large, urban centers, and in the southern regions of Canada’s provinces. This study draws on Cycles 1–4 of Statistics Canada’s Youth in Transition Survey – Cohort A to examine regional inequalities in accessing Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM)-related fields at both the university and non-university levels. Indeed, our findings suggest that location of residence does impact field choices, as students from northern and rural areas were less likely to enter STEM as well as non-STEM, university programs.