Socio-economic status and academic performance in higher education: A systematic review

Abstract

Previous educational research has extensively investigated the relationship between socio-economic status (SES) and academic performance. In higher education, however, this relationship still deserves a comprehensive examination given both practical and conceptual reasons. To attend to this need, a mixed-methods systematic literature review of 42 studies has been carried out. In the first part, a summative content analysis examines how SES and academic performance are measured. In the second part, a meta-analysis estimates the effect size of the relationship between SES and academic performance in higher education. Findings suggest that SES is measured through education, occupation, income, household resources, and neighborhood resources, while academic performance in higher education is measured through achievement, competencies, and persistence. Furthermore, the meta-analysis reveals a positive yet weak relationship between SES and academic performance in higher education. Prior academic achievement, university experience, and working status are more strongly related to academic performance than SES.