Racial/ethnic group and socioeconomic status variation in educational and occupational expectations from adolescence to adulthood ★

This longitudinal study examined the development of educational and occupational expectations from adolescence to adulthood in relation to racial/ethnic and socioeconomic status (SES) group membership. Hierarchical linear modeling on national data (NELS:88) spanning 12 years yielded several findings: (a) African American participants reported the highest educational expectations, followed by Hispanic and Asian American/Pacific Islander, European American, and American Indian/Alaskan Native participants, (b) African American and Asian American/Pacific Islander participants reported the highest occupational expectations, followed by Hispanic, American Indian/Alaskan Native, and European American participants, (c) racial/ethnic group patterns persisted from adolescence to adulthood, and (d) SES positively predicted expectations. Results highlight the importance of considering SES when examining educational and occupational expectations across racial/ethnic groups.