New report on 2002 high school sophomores examines their military service and educational attainment as of 2012

RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, NC—A new report authored by RTI International that examines military service and educational attainment among 2002 high school sophomores as of 2012 (approximately eight years after high school graduation) was released today by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES).

The report, Military Service and Educational Attainment of High School Sophomores After 9/11, provides estimates related to the prevalence and timing of students' military service; the demographic and academic characteristics of those who served in the military; the relationship between students' expectations for a military career and subsequent military service; the relationship between students' military service and that of their parents; and the postsecondary enrollment, fields of study, degree attainment, and financial aid of students with and without military service.  

“This report uses data from the Education Longitudinal Study of 2002 to examine postsecondary outcomes as of 2012 among students who were high school sophomores in 2002, said Erich Lauff, RTI education analyst and first author of the study. “There is great diversity in the pathways taken by students in this cohort in terms of whether they served in the military, enrolled in postsecondary education, or both, as well as the timing of their participation in these pursuits.”

Key findings include the following:

• Six percent of 2002 high school sophomores had served in the military as of 2012.
• 56 percent of those who served in the military had no more than a high school credential when starting their military careers; an additional 30 percent had attended college but had no postsecondary credential.
• Nearly 30 percent of those who completed military service prior to enrolling in post secondary education began postsecondary education at a for-profit institution.
• Whereas 46 percent of students with military service who enrolled in postsecondary education took out a federal student loan, 60 percent of students without military service who enrolled in postsecondary education did so. Among borrowers, students with military service borrowed less than their peers without military service did ($9,800 vs. $16,800).
• Seventeen percent of students with military service had earned a bachelor's or higher degree by 2012; in comparison, 36 percent of students who had not served had earned at least a bachelor's degree by 2012. This difference may stem from the fact that some students joined the military before postsecondary enrollment and had not had sufficient time to complete their postsecondary education as of 2012. 

The view the full Statistics in Brief, please visit http://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/pubsinfo.asp?pubid=2019427.