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Public, four-year institutions are imperative to upward social mobility for the middle class, according to a new Brookings Institution report released Wednesday.
Such institutions account for 42 percent of total enrollment, 58 percent of student spending and 50 percent of upward mobility for the middle class, the report states. By comparison, public two-year institutions account for a similar enrollment, a smaller share of spending and one-third of upward mobility.
“Our report shows that moderately selective public colleges play a critical role in promoting upward mobility for students from the middle class and that two-year colleges offer good value for society,” the report said. “State and federal policymakers should work to ensure both types of public colleges have the capacity to effectively serve all students who want to attend.”
College access is highly dependent on parental income, according to the report. Less than half of children in the poorest 20 percent of households attend college, compared to more than 90 percent of children in the wealthiest 20 percent. Low-income children also are more likely to attend a two-year institution than their wealthier peers.
