Table 3. Percentage of 2002 high school sophomores not yet enrolled in postsecondary institutions in 2006 and percentage distribution of their main reason for not enrolling, by selected student, family, and school characteristics: 2006

Education Longitudinal
Study of 2002 (ELS:2002)

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Characteristic	Percent not yet enrolled in postsecondary institutions	Uninterested in further education²		Academic reasons³		Further education unnecessary for current career goals⁴		Cannot afford to go on to school		Need to help support family		Other reasons⁵
Total	28.8	17.5		4.8		15.3		24.3		14.4		23.8

Sex
Female	24.2	13.9		4.3		10.1		26.5		14.4		30.8
Male	33.1	19.7		4.5		19.2		22.4		15.4		18.8

Race/ethnicity⁶
White, non-Hispanic	24.0	18.7		2.8		19.3		23.7		10.4		25.1
Black, non-Hispanic	35.2	15.9		5.5		11.5		24.8		21.5		20.8
Hispanic	39.4	13.8		6.7		7.9		26.6		21.7		23.2
Asian, non-Hispanic	14.5	22.1		13.6		8.8	!	19.5		20.7		15.3
All other races, non-Hispanic	37.1	18.2		6.0	!	16.6		23.4		16.3		19.4

Family income in 2001
$0-20,000	46.3	16.8		7.3		10.9		24.6		18.7		21.8
$20,001-50,000	35.6	15.9		3.9		15.6		25.7		15.4		23.5
$50,001-100,000	21.1	20.0		4.2		18.2		23.2		10.9		23.6
$100,001 or more	8.7	22.2		‡		19.9		13.5		4.7	!	37.7

Parental education⁷
High school or less	45.1	17.3		5.3		13.2		26.9		16.4		20.9
Some college	30.7	17.6		3.6		15.9		23.0		14.8		25.1
Bachelor's degree	16.3	18.6		3.5		17.2		21.6		12.8		26.3
Graduate/professional degree	12.3	11.4		6.2	!	22.0		21.6		11.3		27.5

Native language⁸
English	27.5	17.9		3.6		15.9		24.1		14.4		24.0
Non-English	33.6	13.6		9.7		12.5		25.7		18.8		19.8

High school sector
Public	30.6	17.3		4.7		15.0		24.6		14.8		23.6
Catholic	5.8	30.1		4.0	!	25.9		13.9		5.0	!	21.2
Other Private	9.7	19.3		0.2		38.0		8.7	!	‡		29.5

Highest math course taken in high school⁹
No math	76.0	21.2		9.9	!	13.8	!	20.8		20.3		14.0
Basic math/pre-algebra	68.2	20.1		4.0		14.0		22.1		14.5		25.3
Algebra I, geometry, or algebra II	37.8	15.7		4.8		15.2		26.2		15.3		22.9
Trigonometry, statistics, pre-calculus	11.1	17.4		5.1		15.1		23.8		11.9		26.7
Calculus	2.8	30.6	!	‡		19.1	!	16.5	!	14.0	!	19.2	!

! Interpret data with caution. Estimate is unstable because the coefficient of variation (CV) for this estimate is 30 percent or greater (i.e., the standard error represents 30 percent or more of the estimate).
¹ Respondents could give more than one reason for not enrolling. Percentages for each reason are of all 2002 high school sophomores who had not been enrolled by the second follow-up in 2006 since leaving high school. Respondents who gave more than one reason in a group of reasons are counted only once for that group.
² Uninterested in further education includes (1) "do not like school," (2) "would rather work and make money than go to school," and/or (3) "don't feel that going to school is important."
³ Academic reasons include (1) "grades are not high enough," (2) "college admission scores are not high enough," and/or (3) "not accepted at the school(s) where you wanted to go."
⁴ Further education unnecessary for current career goals include (1) "won't need more education for the career you want" and/or (2) "have a good job."
⁵ Other reasons include (1) "had a traumatic experience such as you were in an accident, a victim of a crime, or grieving a death," (2) "personal health reasons," (3) "were incarcerated," and/or (4) reasons provided by the respondents via open ended answers.
⁶ Black, non-Hispanic includes African American. Hispanic includes Latino. All other races, non-Hispanic includes American Indian or Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander, and Two or more races.
⁷ Parental education is the highest level of education attained by either the student’s mother or father (including guardians); or, if data are available for only one parent or guardian, the educational attainment of that parent (or guardian).
⁸ The first language the student learned to speak.
⁹ Sample members for whom no high school transcript was received are not included in the estimates.
NOTE: Totals are weighted by F2QWT and other estimates are weighted by F2BYWT except for highest math course taken in high school, which is weighted by F2QTSCWT. Details may not sum to 100 percent due to rounding.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, "Education Longitudinal Study of 2002 (ELS: 2002) Second Follow-up, 2006.”

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