Abstract
This article considers the extent to which private-state school differences in post-secondary outcomes can be explained by family background, secondary school achievement, or neither of the above. We find that privately educated children’s more advantaged family backgrounds and higher levels of school achievement are the main reasons why this group is more likely to enter university and work in professional jobs. However, even after accounting for family background and high school achievement, non-trivial private-state school differences in later lifetime outcomes remain. Empirical evidence is presented for three industrialized nations (Australia, England, and the United States), with broadly similar patterns of association observed within each.
Highlights
The link between family background, school achievement, and labour market outcomes has long been of interest to sociologists (Duncan and Hodge, 1963; Blau and Duncan, 1967; Ishida, Muller and Ridge, 1995; Breen and Goldthorpe, 2001; Breen and Jonsson, 2007)
Educational Attainment Linear Probability Model (LPM) estimates for university entry are presented in Table 4. (Analogous results using logistic regression can be found in Supplementary Table A1) Model 1 demonstrates that there is a large and statistically significant difference between private and state schoolchildren in all three countries
Children who attended a private school in England are 44 percentage points more likely to enter university by age 20
Summary
The link between family background, school achievement, and labour market outcomes has long been of interest to sociologists (Duncan and Hodge, 1963; Blau and Duncan, 1967; Ishida, Muller and Ridge, 1995; Breen and Goldthorpe, 2001; Breen and Jonsson, 2007). Is it expensive (Dearden, Ryan and Sibieta, 2011), restricting access to only the most affluent families, but the particular environment within private schools may alienate children (and families) from outside the highest social groups (Bourdieu, 1974, 1977; Sullivan, 2002). It is well-known that privately educated children are more likely to enter university (Sullivan et al, 2014), attend a prestigious post-secondary institution (Boliver, 2013; Chowdry et al, 2013), and obtain a professional job
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
