Upward social mobility is core to the American dream—a dream in which each generation does better financially than the preceding one. In today’s labor market, a bachelor’s degree has become key to realizing this dream.
Most of the nation’s students who earn bachelor’s degrees attend “comprehensive universities”: public institutions that primarily enroll students who live near the school and educate their students chiefly for jobs in the local economy. Comprehensive universities vary significantly from research and state flagship institutions. On average they enroll higher percentages of first-generation, Black, Hispanic, and adult (age 25 and above) students than flagship/research universities.
This report explores the impact of comprehensive institutions in promoting upward mobility.