Aperçu

Résumé (français)

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Résumé (anglais)

In this paper, we provide evidence on the relative importance of two family background variables for the educational attainment and income level achieved by Canadians: parental education and parental income. We find that parental education is more strongly related to a child’s educational attainment than parental income, although parental income also plays a significant role both statistically and substantively. These findings call into question less nuanced interpretations of some existing studies, which often appear to discount the role of parental income and financial obstacles to postsecondary education participation. At the same time, this study is consistent with existing evidence of the independent role of parental education in child educational attainment, hinting at important non-financial obstacles to educational attainment. Our insights are based on observational data and provide relevant insights for further causal research as well as discussions of new policy interventions.