Table 104.93.

Sources of college information for spring 2002 high school sophomores who expected to attend a postsecondary institution, by highest level of education completed and socioeconomic status while in high school: 2012

[Standard errors appear in parentheses]
Socioeconomic status (SES) and sources of college information	Percent of students obtaining college information from each source
	All students who expected to attend a postsecondary institution			Highest level of education completed through 2012
				Less than high school completion			High school completion			Some postsecondary education (no credential)			Postsecondary certificate			Associate's degree			Bachelor's or higher degree
1	2			3			4			5			6			7			8
Low SES1
Information sources as of 2002
School counselor	40.8		(1.43)	‡		(†)	36.2		(3.34)	39.4		(2.25)	38.6		(3.98)	46.8		(4.88)	50.6		(2.68)
Teacher	35.5		(1.29)	31.2		(5.69)	30.4		(2.73)	36.6		(2.11)	34.5		(3.76)	38.1		(4.50)	38.6		(3.27)
Coach	7.5		(0.68)	‡		(†)	6.7		(1.60)	9.5		(1.28)	5.4	!	(1.69)	6.0	!	(2.09)	6.9		(1.44)
Parent	42.0		(1.28)	30.0		(5.53)	37.8		(3.14)	42.2		(2.23)	44.2		(3.34)	46.2		(4.28)	45.1		(3.01)
Friend	39.5		(1.18)	31.1		(5.42)	36.8		(3.15)	41.8		(2.08)	39.0		(3.56)	31.8		(3.88)	44.1		(3.14)
Sibling	23.4		(1.13)	8.5	!	(2.98)	21.8		(2.78)	24.1		(1.95)	23.5		(3.33)	23.8		(3.64)	27.6		(2.65)
Other relative	27.2		(1.22)	26.7		(5.33)	22.9		(2.60)	29.5		(2.04)	28.2		(3.12)	26.8		(4.21)	26.2		(2.58)
College publication or website	29.9		(1.20)	13.3	!	(4.25)	21.2		(2.77)	30.8		(2.13)	24.0		(3.36)	36.0		(3.62)	42.4		(3.16)
College representative	15.2		(1.07)	‡		(†)	13.2		(1.79)	15.8		(1.68)	14.6		(2.50)	21.8		(3.83)	15.4		(2.58)
College search guide	28.7		(1.23)	18.9		(5.08)	21.4		(2.60)	29.2		(2.13)	21.1		(3.12)	30.8		(3.59)	42.3		(3.13)
Information sources as of 2004
School counselor	77.7		(1.41)	‡		(†)	67.8		(4.03)	74.0		(2.38)	77.0		(3.18)	84.9		(4.12)	90.8		(1.83)
Teacher	46.1		(1.66)	‡		(†)	40.6		(3.71)	44.8		(2.80)	48.0		(4.57)	36.5		(4.88)	55.2		(3.69)
Coach	9.0		(0.89)	‡		(†)	‡		(†)	12.6		(1.65)	8.5	!	(3.88)	4.8	!	(2.26)	9.5		(1.80)
Parent	42.8		(1.41)	‡		(†)	35.0		(3.82)	42.3		(2.20)	48.9		(3.79)	39.5		(5.14)	46.0		(3.43)
Friend	25.9		(1.47)	‡		(†)	18.2		(2.87)	24.4		(2.16)	29.5		(4.49)	29.8		(5.14)	29.6		(2.91)
Sibling	32.6		(1.44)	‡		(†)	22.2		(3.40)	31.7		(2.20)	33.5		(3.72)	33.8		(4.93)	41.4		(3.25)
Other relative	53.1		(1.53)	‡		(†)	43.1		(4.43)	53.0		(2.61)	49.3		(4.30)	46.5		(5.42)	66.1		(3.04)
College publication or website	53.9		(1.50)	‡		(†)	36.3		(4.11)	54.5		(2.46)	56.2		(4.00)	49.9		(5.10)	67.3		(2.91)
College representative	50.7		(1.58)	‡		(†)	29.5		(3.82)	50.4		(2.62)	42.3		(4.31)	46.8		(4.77)	73.9		(3.16)
College search guide	43.0		(1.73)	‡		(†)	26.5		(3.48)	43.8		(2.68)	34.0		(4.22)	42.1		(4.87)	59.7		(2.93)
Middle SES1
Information sources as of 2002
School counselor	44.3		(1.06)	26.5		(6.75)	40.8		(2.91)	42.1		(1.41)	45.2		(2.70)	38.8		(2.54)	49.8		(1.72)
Teacher	31.6		(0.91)	42.2		(7.46)	32.4		(2.69)	32.1		(1.35)	27.5		(2.28)	23.6		(2.21)	34.3		(1.54)
Coach	9.3		(0.55)	‡		(†)	12.1		(1.92)	9.3		(0.79)	7.7		(1.38)	7.3		(1.58)	9.6		(1.00)
Parent	55.2		(0.90)	50.1		(8.26)	47.7		(3.05)	54.7		(1.38)	54.5		(2.84)	51.8		(2.51)	59.5		(1.56)
Friend	39.2		(0.86)	36.8		(9.38)	38.6		(3.05)	37.0		(1.37)	41.8		(2.49)	34.3		(2.72)	42.6		(1.42)
Sibling	23.6		(0.71)	21.2	!	(7.12)	17.2		(2.23)	21.4		(1.15)	26.1		(2.31)	21.7		(2.22)	27.8		(1.31)
Other relative	26.5		(0.84)	25.0		(7.01)	27.9		(2.65)	26.6		(1.37)	27.4		(2.29)	22.9		(2.29)	26.7		(1.30)
College publication or website	33.5		(0.86)	22.5		(5.83)	23.0		(2.77)	31.0		(1.35)	30.0		(2.57)	30.3		(2.41)	42.1		(1.49)
College representative	14.3		(0.67)	16.3	!	(6.43)	14.2		(1.97)	14.1		(1.02)	15.0		(1.84)	15.2		(2.25)	14.0		(1.08)
College search guide	31.0		(0.80)	31.0		(7.27)	21.2		(2.39)	29.6		(1.25)	27.3		(2.21)	27.6		(2.43)	37.6		(1.37)
Information sources as of 2004
School counselor	79.6		(0.97)	‡		(†)	67.5		(3.45)	78.5		(1.50)	72.8		(3.02)	78.5		(2.65)	85.3		(1.23)
Teacher	43.6		(1.03)	‡		(†)	36.8		(3.60)	43.0		(1.95)	45.9		(3.05)	37.2		(2.90)	47.0		(1.76)
Coach	12.1		(0.77)	‡		(†)	8.7		(2.17)	11.6		(1.23)	8.7		(1.86)	12.8		(2.10)	13.9		(1.40)
Parent	58.5		(1.04)	‡		(†)	43.4		(3.58)	56.6		(1.87)	62.6		(2.96)	56.0		(3.06)	63.2		(1.51)
Friend	25.2		(0.81)	‡		(†)	22.8		(2.76)	22.4		(1.43)	22.0		(2.36)	23.4		(2.44)	29.6		(1.31)
Sibling	28.6		(1.00)	‡		(†)	28.1		(3.30)	27.4		(1.53)	35.8		(3.32)	26.9		(2.66)	28.5		(1.59)
Other relative	52.0		(0.97)	‡		(†)	46.2		(3.85)	51.5		(1.74)	49.0		(3.09)	46.2		(3.00)	56.4		(1.56)
College publication or website	59.3		(1.16)	‡		(†)	36.6		(3.50)	56.9		(1.76)	51.5		(3.45)	57.6		(3.00)	69.1		(1.79)
College representative	65.1		(1.01)	‡		(†)	37.9		(3.48)	59.5		(1.61)	55.2		(3.41)	61.7		(2.96)	79.9		(1.52)
College search guide	48.2		(1.11)	‡		(†)	32.2		(3.40)	43.6		(1.97)	40.2		(3.35)	42.5		(2.90)	59.7		(1.49)
High SES1
Information sources as of 2002
School counselor	46.3		(1.24)	‡		(†)	49.8		(8.33)	46.8		(2.27)	51.8		(5.41)	39.4		(5.03)	46.4		(1.46)
Teacher	30.7		(1.10)	‡		(†)	37.5		(8.63)	30.3		(2.14)	26.0		(4.87)	28.0		(4.07)	31.2		(1.37)
Coach	10.8		(0.70)	‡		(†)	13.3	!	(6.11)	10.3		(1.40)	10.8	!	(3.46)	8.4		(2.31)	11.1		(0.89)
Parent	68.4		(1.10)	‡		(†)	58.9		(8.68)	62.9		(2.22)	64.8		(4.76)	68.2		(4.40)	71.2		(1.32)
Friend	42.1		(1.09)	‡		(†)	41.1		(9.11)	38.8		(2.35)	40.4		(5.00)	44.4		(4.29)	43.3		(1.43)
Sibling	29.2		(0.94)	‡		(†)	23.7	!	(7.41)	25.4		(2.00)	21.5		(4.10)	31.7		(4.17)	31.2		(1.21)
Other relative	26.3		(0.97)	‡		(†)	34.8		(9.10)	28.1		(2.04)	27.3		(4.57)	23.0		(4.06)	25.6		(1.15)
College publication or website	44.4		(1.18)	‡		(†)	27.5		(8.19)	38.5		(2.44)	36.5		(5.40)	39.3		(4.66)	48.5		(1.42)
College representative	15.3		(0.78)	‡		(†)	11.3	!	(5.45)	18.6		(1.67)	20.1		(4.39)	13.6		(3.02)	14.0		(0.94)
College search guide	39.7		(1.13)	‡		(†)	17.5	!	(6.74)	37.5		(2.16)	31.6		(5.26)	30.1		(4.32)	43.1		(1.53)
Information sources as of 2004
School counselor	80.9		(1.12)	‡		(†)	72.7		(9.01)	80.7		(2.11)	82.0		(4.60)	82.1		(4.09)	81.0		(1.33)
Teacher	42.7		(1.23)	‡		(†)	41.4		(10.31)	39.8		(2.69)	44.5		(5.72)	39.3		(5.32)	43.8		(1.51)
Coach	14.9		(0.88)	‡		(†)	‡		(†)	12.5		(1.83)	11.3		(3.17)	11.2		(3.15)	16.4		(1.12)
Parent	72.7		(1.29)	‡		(†)	64.4		(10.16)	66.0		(2.93)	66.0		(6.01)	66.3		(5.46)	76.0		(1.38)
Friend	30.0		(1.09)	‡		(†)	24.6	!	(8.24)	25.9		(2.16)	29.0		(5.50)	27.9		(4.87)	31.7		(1.23)
Sibling	28.0		(1.09)	‡		(†)	25.0	!	(8.94)	27.4		(2.58)	29.1		(5.09)	24.7		(4.15)	28.4		(1.32)
Other relative	53.2		(1.28)	‡		(†)	40.5		(9.56)	51.5		(2.74)	50.7		(6.15)	43.3		(5.11)	55.1		(1.50)
College publication or website	64.0		(1.23)	‡		(†)	36.5		(9.54)	55.9		(2.77)	51.8		(5.85)	46.4		(5.44)	69.6		(1.42)
College representative	79.5		(1.03)	‡		(†)	41.9		(10.05)	72.8		(2.54)	60.7		(5.78)	67.7		(5.03)	85.1		(1.15)
College search guide	59.6		(1.38)	‡		(†)	28.3	!	(8.61)	55.1		(2.92)	43.7		(5.55)	54.4		(5.55)	63.6		(1.66)

†Not applicable.

!Interpret data with caution. The coefficient of variation (CV) for this estimate is between 30 and 50 percent.

‡Reporting standards not met. Either there are too few cases for a reliable estimate or the coefficient of variation (CV) is 50 percent or greater.

1 Socioeconomic status (SES) was measured by a composite score on parental education and occupations, and family income in 2002. The "low" SES group is the lowest quartile; the "middle" SES group is the middle two quartiles; and the "high" SES group is the upper quartile.

NOTE: Students who reported that they planned to attend postsecondary education were asked, "Where have you gone for information about the entrance requirements of various colleges?" Because each student could indicate multiple sources, percentages do not sum to 100.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Education Longitudinal Study of 2002 (ELS:2002), Base Year, First Follow-up, and Third Follow-up. (This table was prepared January 2015.)