Reflecting in part their preference for vocational/technical fields over academic ones, first-generation students were less likely than their peers whose parents were college graduates to take courses in various academic areas, including mathematics, science, computer science, social studies, humanities, history, and foreign languages (tables 8, 9, 10, and 11). They also tended to earn fewer credits if they took courses in these areas.

Taking mathematics as an example, 55 percent of first-generation students took at least one mathematics course in college, compared with 81 percent of students whose parents had a bachelor’s degree or higher (figure D). Among those who took any mathematics, first-generation students earned an average of 8 credits, compared with 11 credits earned by their counterparts. Moreover, the gap in advanced mathematics coursetaking (in both the likelihood of taking courses and credits earned) remained even among those who majored in mathematics and science (table 8).