Intricate Interplay Among Family Socioeconomic Status, Disability, and College Completion in the Transition to Adulthood

College degree completion serves as one of the critical milestones for a successful transition to adulthood. This study analyzed a weighted sample from the restricted data of the National [U.S.] Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health to unravel the intricate relationships among family socioeconomic status (SES), disability type, and college degree completion in youth with disabilities transitioning into adulthood. After adjusting for confounding factors, multivariate analyses revealed significant disparities in college degree attainment among varying levels of family SES and disability type. The middle-SES group particularly demonstrated pronounced inequities. In addition, the study found differential contextual factors that significantly impact college degree completion, which contributes to the complex relationship among youth from different SES backgrounds. A successful transition to adulthood requires early interventions to foster postsecondary outcomes for youth with disabilities.