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Based on the Fames data, the author analyzes how the differentiation of higher education into sectors affects current occupational status among a homogeneous age population. The sample consists of young men and women ten years after high school graduation. Past studies analyzing correlations between educational level and occupational status virtually ignore the effects of community college attendance. Most earlier work defines school quality solely in terms of per-pupil expenditures, but these studies fail to account for the complexity of the higher educational system in the United States today. My research shows that the type of first college entered is a significant variable in analyzing differences in occupational status, even when holding constant variations in ability, socioeconomic background, and college goal. The average status of four-year college entrants' jobs is almost 12 points higher on the Duncan scale than the status of community college entrants' jobs. Community college entrants suffer an occupational penalty, compared to four-year college entrants, even when controlling for years of education.
Elizabeth Monk‐Turner (Wed,) studied this question.