Socioeconomic Status Bias in Higher Education

This study investigated bias towards students with low socioeconomic status (SES) in higher education. Current undergraduate students viewed hypothetical profiles of students with low, high, or no SES mentioned. Participants then rated the intelligence and future likelihood of success of each of the hypothetical students. The study found that students did not rate the low SES student as lower; in fact, ratings of all three groups were statistically indistinguishable. Furthermore, students with more leadership experiences on campus did not differ from those with less leadership experiences in their ratings. Possible explanations for the lack of statistical significance are discussed.