| The Asian American population is one of the fastest growing ethnic groups in the nation. Traditionally, Asian Americans have been recognized as a "model minority" for their outstanding educational achievement and attainment relative to other racial and ethnic groups. However, recently, researchers have criticized the application of the label "model minority" to the Asian American population, instead, emphasizing the diversity of this population and the great needs of the relatively disadvantaged Asian American ethnic subgroups. Yet, research in this field has rarely used an econometric approach to examine this issue in the area of higher education.; Including non-traditional students in the sample, this study uses data from the National Educational Longitudinal Study (NELS:88-00) and employs multinomial logit, ordered probit, and binary logit models to examine the ethnic subgroup differences in college choice and degree attainment of the Asian American population. This study also determines college choice factors that differentially affect Asian American ethnic subgroups and investigates effects of college entry or transfer effects on their postsecondary degree attainment.; The results suggest that there are significant differences in college choice behaviors and bachelor's degree attainment rates among Asian American ethnic subgroups. Interestingly, when individual and family backgrounds are controlled, Southeast Asian students who are the most disadvantaged group within the Asian American population socioeconomically, educationally, and politically, have a higher tendency to choose 4-year Post-Secondary Educational (PSE) enrollment and a higher tendency to earn a bachelor's degree, relative to a base group. Significant variation is also found in the factors affecting college choice behaviors across ethnic subgroups. For example, compared to a base group, South Asian students are less likely than other Asian American students to be sensitive to test scores when choosing 4-year PSE institutions while Southeast Asian students are more sensitive to college tuition in choosing between 2- and 4-year PSE institutions. This study reveals the importance of taking into consideration the context of specific Asian American subpopulations on their college choice and degree attainment. |
