Inherent advantage: The multidimensional and cumulative nature of intergenerational associations in degree attainment

The literature documents significant intergenerational associations in degree attainment. However, as returns to academic credentials vary increasingly due to rising stratification by both degree level and type, a more detailed understanding of parent-child linkages is required. This study addresses this challenge by assessing the multidimensional and cumulative nature of intergenerational associations in degree attainment. Using rich administrative data, we compare parents’ and children’s educational attainment across three dimensions: degree level, institutional selectivity, and the generation-specific earnings rank of field of study (FOS). We evaluate the multiple channels (within- and cross-dimensions) for intergenerational associations, and measure the accumulation and configurations of credential advantages at the household and child levels. Our findings point to strong intergenerational correlations, both within and across the three dimensions. The parental household accumulation and configuration of advantages shape the child’s accumulation and configuration of credentials. Overall, intergenerational linkages in degree attainment are more heterogeneous and diffuse than previously recognized, suggesting that prior scholarship underestimates the extent of the transmission of advantage.