College Proximity and Rates of College Attendance 1

Abstract

This paper presents the results of a study on the effect of college proximity upon rates of college attendance among over 20,000 high school graduates of 1966 in the states of Illinois and North Carolina. Results of multivariate dummy-variable regression analyses question both the assumption that college proximity per se is an important factor in college-going, and the often stated belief that the establishment of public junior colleges will help to equalize educational opportunity by providing higher educational access to able children of low status families. In both Illinois and North Carolina, only persons of lower ability appeared to gain in attendance when living in a community with a public junior college.