Do high school peers have persistent effects on college attainment and other life outcomes?

•Examines impact of high school classmates on educational and labor market outcomes•Classmates with college educated mothers increase college attendance in short-run•No discernible effects on college attendance or completion in longer-run•Evidence suggests possible effects on household income during late 20s/early 30s

Using data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health, this study examines the impact of high school cohort composition on the educational and labor market outcomes of individuals during their early 20s and again during their late 20s and early 30s. We find that having more high school classmates with a college educated mother has positive effects on college attendance in the years immediately following high school, but no statistically discernible effects on college attendance and college completion as individuals reach their late 20s and early 30s. Some evidence suggests that the delay in college attendance associated with the composition of one's high school cohort may affect household income during the late 20s and early 30s.