Same-sex sexuality and postsecondary outcomes: the role of high school locale

Click on the DOI link to access the article (may not be free).This study uses data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health to examine how high school locale moderates the association between same-sex sexuality (SSS) and postsecondary outcomes, including four-year college enrollment and four-year degree completion. Our results suggest that the link between same-sex sexuality and college completion is complex, varying by gender, high school locale, and the timing of same-sex sexuality. We find that sexual minority men who attended a rural high school enroll in and complete college at higher rates than their heterosexual peers, although this varies by the timing of same-sex sexuality. Sexual minority women are less likely than heterosexual women to enroll in and complete college, and high school locale does not moderate this association. We discuss these gender differences and the role of high school locale in shaping both high school and college outcomes.This research was funded by a grant from the American Educational Research Association to Wichita State University, Jennifer Pearson (PI). The research is based on data from the Add Health project, a program project designed by J. Richard Udry (PI) and Peter Bearman, and funded by Grant P01 HD31921 from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development to the Carolina Population Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill