Inequality of opportunities in Colombia: impact of social origin on academic achievement and income level among university graduates

Abstract

Using merged data from three databases, this study makes a statistical analysis of the impact of social origin (SO) on educational achievement and occupational attainment of higher education graduates in Colombia (n=16 899). The families’ socioeconomic status and schooling level are distinguished as two separate mechanisms through which the SO determines the following interrelated factors: (1) academic achievement; (2) the type of educational institution; and (3) the individual’s income in the formal labor market. Results suggest that SO has a significant impact on educational outcomes during secondary school but also at higher educational levels and in the later transition into the world of work. They point out that SO operates directly through the socioeconomic status and parental education, whose effects are particularly strong on the academic achievement at secondary education. SO also operates indirectly, through the segmentation of educational paths, on the academic achievement during university studies and on income.