Which Move Matters More?: The Comparative Impact of Residential Mobility and School Mobility on High School Completion in Canada

ABSTRACT Residential and school mobility are central features of childhood that can shape later educational outcomes. This study examines how these two forms of mobility—spatial and institutional—affect the likelihood of completing high school on time in Canada. Using a linked dataset from the National Longitudinal Survey of Children and Youth (NLSCY) and administrative education records, we assess how the timing, frequency, and type of move influence educational attainment. We distinguish between residential moves, school moves, and combined moves to evaluate whether each disrupts social and institutional continuity in distinct ways. Logistic regression models show that moving homes or changing schools during adolescence significantly reduces the probability of on‐time high school completion, with the strongest negative effect observed when both occur concurrently. In contrast, early childhood moves show little association with attainment once socioeconomic and family characteristics are accounted for. These findings advance understanding of the spatial and institutional dimensions of childhood mobility and their implications for educational inequality in Canada.