SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC INFLUENCES ON GRADUATION RATES FROM HIGHER-EDUCATION IN AUSTRALIA

This paper presents an examination of national survey data on the grad uation rates of young people who enter higher education in Australia. Two cohorts of young people were surveyed - those born in 1961 and tho se born in 1965. Of interest is the influence of gender and of selecte d social and economic background characteristics on graduation rates. The results for both cohorts provide further evidence of the gains mad e by young females during the 1980s in terms of educational participat ion and attainment. The results for the first cohort show also there w ere some signs of lower graduation rates being associated with socioec onomic disadvantage, at least as indicated by parent's occupational st atus and family wealth. For the second cohort, however, there was litt le evidence of any effect in the same direction. This suggests that at tempts to deal with equity which have focussed on performance within h igher education have either been quite effective or might be better di rected towards the selection processes which lead to higher education.