Examining What Factors Affect High School Students’ Educational Aspirations

This study sought to examine the factors that influenced a high school student’s educational aspirations. This study used data collected by the High School Longitudinal Study (HSLS) 2009-2013 to examine how a student’s engagement, interest, attitudes toward math teacher, counselors helping with college materials, and meeting with a counselor influence a student’s educational aspirations. The findings suggest that student engagement, student interest and meeting with a counselor were significant predictors of higher educational aspirations even after controlling for being white, female, academic track, and family income. Counselors helping with college material was also a predictor of higher educational aspirations, however after controlling for being white, female, academic track, and family income, it was no longer significant. Student attitudes toward math teacher is a significant predictor of student educational aspiration sand remains so even after controlling for being white, female, academic track, and family income