An Exploration of First-Generation Educational and Career Pathways: The Impacts of School Choice, Field of Study, and Post-Graduate Aspirations on Students’ Perceptions and Motivations

Author ORCID Identifier

0009-0004-0102-9283

Degree Year

2026

Document Type

Thesis - Oberlin Community Only

Degree Name

Bachelor of Arts

Department

Sociology

Advisor(s)

Daphne John

Committee Member(s)

Christie Parris
Beiyi Hu
Daphne John
Alexander Kinney
Greggor Mattson
Alicia Smith-Tran
Veljko Vujačić

Keywords

First-generation college students, Higher education, Liberal arts, Mixed-methods, College major(s), Field(s) of study, Career decisions

Abstract

This mixed-methods study examines the motivations and aspirations behind the fields of study and career interests of first-generation (FG; first-gen) college students. While previous research has quantitatively demonstrated a tendency toward vocationally-specific majors among this group, this study seeks to uncover the motivations and rationales behind their college major decisions and post-graduate plans. Quantitatively, I used the 2023 Panel Study of Income Dynamics: Transition into Adulthood Supplement to compare the major decisions among first- and continuing-generation students to determine if the pattern observed in previous studies is replicable. Qualitatively, this study goes further by conducting in-depth interviews with 18 third or fourth-year first-gen students attending a small, private liberal arts college in the Midwest. Findings suggest that first-generation status is mediated through various identity and social context factors that differentiate students' experiences. As such, adapt their declared fields of study according to both a passion- and practicality-based rationale, blending their interests through combinations of major(s), minor(s), and concentration(s) to achieve their desired outcomes and specificity.

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