Life Course: A New View Of College Completion Problems

Finishing College: Sociodemographic Inequalities and Life Course Transitions

by Josipa Roksa
Combining literatures on sociodemographic inequalities and life course transitions, this study provides a new lens for understanding degree completion of traditional-age students, one that conceptualizes college enrollment in the context of the life course and examines how schooling interacts with other life course transitions. The findings indicate that life course transitions contribute to socioeconomic and gender inequalities in degree completion, and that attendance patterns are crucial for understanding the negative relationship between life course transitions and degree attainment.