Survey data from the National Council on Educational Statistics (NCES) "Condition of Education 2001" report seem to indicate that taking advanced mathematics courses in high school increases the likelihood of college enrollment, especially for students whose parents never attended college. NCES is the federal agency responsible for collecting, compiling and analyzing data on education in the United States.

College students whose parents have attained no more than a high school education are often referred to as "first-generation" college students. According to 2001 data, just over one-quarter of high school graduates are from families where neither parent attended college. The rate at which these students enroll in 4-year colleges is much lower than that of their counterparts whose parents attended college. Because of this difference in enrollment rates, students whose parents did not attend college are often targeted for outreach programs to help them prepare academically for college. One indicator of academic readiness for college is the highest level of mathematics completed in high school.

Among 1992 high school graduates, at all mathematics levels completed except the lowest, students whose parents did not attend college enrolled in 4-year colleges at lower rates than did their counterparts from families where at least one parent has a bachelor's degree. However, completing advanced mathematics courses (precalculus or higher) appeared to help mitigate the disadvantages of first-generation status. For example, among high school graduates whose parents did not attend college, 64 percent who had completed advanced mathematics courses in high school enrolled in a 4-year college, compared with 34 percent who had completed courses through algebra II and 11 percent who had completed algebra I and geometry. Comparable percentages for students with a parent who has a bachelor's degree were 85 percent, 63 percent, and 28 percent, respectively.

Future first-generation college students can help prepare themselves for taking advanced mathematics in high school by taking algebra in middle school. However, not all students have acquired the necessary skills for doing so. But among students who presumably have -- those at the highest proficiency level tested in 8th grade (level 3) -- 83 percent whose parents did not attend college and who had completed algebra by 8th grade went on to complete advanced mathematics in high school. In contrast, 54 percent who had not taken algebra completed advanced mathematics. Among students with a parent who has a bachelor's degree, the comparable percentages were 95 percent and 73 percent, respectively.

The full NCES report, with citations and supporting data, on this subject can be downloaded as a PDF file here.