Access to Post-Secondary Education Among Under-Represented and Minority Groups

Abstract

This paper provides an empirical analysis of access to post-secondary education among under represented and minority groups in Canada based on the uniquely rich Youth in Transition Survey (Reading Cohort). We first treat the groups individually and then together to see how membership across different groups affects the identified gaps. We then add other sets of explanatory variables available in the YITS-A (high school grades and engagement, PISA reading scores, etc.) to see what portion of the gaps are related to these variables – and how much still remains after taking them into account. Not having a family history of PSE attendance is the most important (independent) factor, followed by being disabled, further followed by being an Aboriginal, coming from a rural area, or being in a low income family. Conversely, the children of immigrants are much more likely to go to PSE (especially university), as are (official) language minorities, while coming from a single parent family appears to have no effect of its own.