Effect of personal attributes and attitudes on community college students' occupational aspirations

This study investigates the effect of personal attributes and attitudes on the occupational aspirations of urban community college students. The Transfer and Retention of Urban Community College Students Project, a 3-year longitudinal study of 5,000 community college students in the Los Angeles Community College District, provides data for this study. The underlying premise for this study is that certain demographic, academic, and socioeconomic attributes, as well as personal attitudes are associated with of varying levels of occupational prestige. For this study, occupational prestige is defined as the amount of education an occupation requires and the salary an occupation pays.;This investigation reveals that gender has a significant effect on the occupational aspirations of community college students. In five different fields of occupations; Professional, Health, Technical, Support and Service; females plan on careers that are statistically significantly different in prestige than the occupations males plan on pursuing. In addition, not only is there difference in prestige, but also in every instance females choose occupations that are less prestigious than their male counterparts.;Another attribute that affects the occupations individuals consider is the age of the person. Results of this study show that as people get older they plan on careers that are increasingly less prestigious. Additionally, a parent's education also has an effect on the occupational aspirations of the individual. In instances where either parent has a graduate degree, the occupational aspirations of the offspring are significantly higher than when the parent's has attained a lesser degree.;In addition to these immutable attributes, an individual's academic performance also has an effect on occupational prestige. The occupational aspirations of individuals who have taken high-level mathematics and science courses are significantly different from individuals who have not taken these courses. Individuals who have completed a course in Calculus or Physics have plans for more prestigious careers than individuals who have completed neither one of these courses.