Is Post-secondary Access More Equitable in Canada or the United States?

This comparative study investigates the role of family background characteristics in postsecondary access in Canada and the United States. Given that postsecondary schooling is funded very differently in the two countries, family background may play substantively different roles. The findings suggest that university-going is less common among lower-income students and members of a visible minority group in the U.S. than among their Canadian counterparts. Some possible reasons are discussed.