Created variables
HGC_EVER: This XRND variable contains the highest grade ever completed updated through the respondent's most recent interview in which relevant questions were asked. These incorporate adjustments to prevent respondents from regressing in years of schooling when they take such actions as returning to school in a new field.
HIGHEST_DEGREE_EVER: This XRND variable reflects the highest academic degree that has ever been reported, through the respondent’s most recent interview in which relevant questions were asked.
HGC_REVISED: These variables represent the highest grade completed by the respondent as of each interview date. These are created with some adjustments to keep people from regressing in years of schooling when they take such actions as returning to school in a new field.
ENROLLMT_STATUS_REVISED: These variables represent the respondent's enrollment status on May 5 of survey year. There should be little to no difference between the original and revised versions of this variable. They are simply produced by determining whether the respondent reported being enrolled in May of the survey year.
Important information: Using educational attainment & enrollment data
A review of the NLSY79 enrollment and grade attending and completed data found a number of inconsistencies, such as the highest grade attended or grade currently attended decreasing over time, and such. Revised 'Highest Grade Completed' and 'Enrollment Status' variables, which seek to clean up some of the inconsistencies, have been added to the data set. See Appendix 8 in the NLSY79 Codebook Supplement for a description of these revisions.
In recent rounds, created XRND variables HGC_EVER and HIGHEST_DEGREE_EVER (described above) have been added to the public release (in the 2018 and 2022 releases respectively). These variables reflect the most recent available reports of highest grade completed and academic degree reported. Reviews of apparent discrepancies and inconsistencies in respondent reporting are incorporated, as well as updates based on more recent or clarifying information reported by respondents. Reporting discrepancies and inconsistencies and variable creation processes are described in Appendix 8 in the NLSY79 Codebook Supplement.
Information on NLSY79 respondents' educational experiences has been collected during each survey year. In addition, three special data collections conducted during 1980-1983 gathered the following for select universes:
- supplementary information on degrees and certifications received as of the 1980 survey
- detailed information on the amount of time spent at school on each of the past seven days and the amount of time spent in various school-related activities, such as attending classes, studying, participating in other activities
- high school course information gathered (directly from school records) during the 1980-1983 transcript surveys
Table 1 summarizes the major types of NLSY79 educational status and attainment variables and identifies the survey years during which such data were collected.
| Variable | Survey Years | |
|---|---|---|
| Current School Enrollment Status | Currently attending or enrolled in school | 1979-2020 |
| Grade attending | 1979-2020 | |
| Specific months R was attending regular school since last interview | 1981-2016 | |
| Month/year last enrolled in school ((not enrolled) data users must compute months R was attending)) | 1979-1998 | |
| Reason left school (not enrolled) | 1979-2020 | |
| Any high school/college courses taken while in Armed Forces | 1979-1985 | |
| Enrollment status as of May 1 survey year (Key/Created Variable) | 1979-2006 | |
| Highest Grade Attended or Completed | Highest grade attended since last interview | 1979-2020 |
| Highest grade completed since last interview | 1979-2020 | |
| Years of school completed while in the Armed Forces since last interview | 1979-1985 | |
| Highest grade completed as of May 1 survey year (Key/Created Variable) | 1979-2016 | |
| Type of High School Curriculum | Type of current/last school curriculum in grades 9-12 | 1979-1985 |
| 1st-8th high school subject during most recent enrollment; grades 9-12 | 1979 | |
| High school courses from the Transcript Surveys | 1980-1983 | |
| Nature of high school program | 1980 | |
| Major Field of Study in College | Major field of study current/last college attended | 1979-1983 |
| Major field of study most recent and 2nd/3rd most recent college attended | 1984-1986, 1988-1990, and 1992-2018 | |
| College Status | Full time/part time status (in college last enrolled since 9/1 past year) | 1979-1983 |
| Full time/part time status most recent and 2nd/3rd most recent college | 1984-1986, 1988-1990, and 1992-2018 | |
| Attainment of a High School Diploma and Other Degrees | Ever received degree/diploma | 1979 |
| Have high school diploma or equivalent | 1979-2020 | |
| Have diploma or GED | 1979-2018 | |
| Month/year received diploma or GED | 1979-2018 | |
| Received degree since last interview | 1980-1984 and 1989-2020 | |
| Received more than one college degree since last interview | 1981-1984 | |
| Diploma/degree received during or since recent Armed Forces enlistment | 1979-1985 | |
| Highest degree ever received (including high school diploma) | 1988-2020 | |
| Month/year received degree/highest degree | 1979-1980 and 1988-2020 | |
| Types of diplomas/college degrees received | 1979-1984 | |
| Types of diplomas/college degrees received during or since recent enlistment | 1979-1985 | |
| Name and Geographic Location (Available on Restricted Geocode Release) | State location of current/last college attended | 1980-1983 |
| Location of most recent college(s) attended (available on Geocode release through 2004) | 1984-1986, 1988-1990, and 1992-2018 | |
| FICE/UNITID code of most recent and 2nd/3rd most recent college attended | 1984-1986, 1988-1990, and 1992-2018 | |
| College Loans | Educational loan received for this year's college expenses | 1979-1983 |
| Educational loan received to cover most recent and 2nd/3rd most recent college attended | 1984-1986, 1988-1990, and 1992-2018 | |
| Total amount of educational loans: most recent and 2nd/3rd most recent college attended | 1984-1986, 1988-1990, and 1992-2018 | |
| Household/Family Members | Highest grade completed for each household member | 1979-2016 |
| Highest grade completed for R's mother, father, oldest sibling | 1979 | |
| Highest grade completed for R's current or most recent spouse | 1979-1982 | |
| Highest grade completed for all siblings | 1993 | |
Armed Forces sample
From 1979 to 1985, respondents who had served in the Armed Forces since their last interview or were actively serving at the time of the interview were asked a series of questions about high school or college courses taken and the years of education completed while in the military.
- COLLEGE/HIGH SCHOOL COURSES TAKEN WHILE IN ARMED FORCES?
- COLLEGE/HIGH SCHOOL COURSES SINCE LAST INT/MOST RECENT ARMED FORCES SERVICE?
- HIGHEST GRADE COMPLETED BEFORE MOST RECENT ARMED FORCES ENLISTMENT
- YEARS OF SCHOOL COMPLETED WHILE IN ARMED FORCES SINCE LAST INT
| Related User's Guide Sections |
Additional information on schooling as it relates to other areas of the respondent's life can be found in the following sections:
|
|---|---|
| Survey Instruments and Documentation |
Core education questions are found in the yearly questionnaires in the "Regular Schooling" sections (see Section 3 or 4) and the "Military" sections (Section 7 [1979], Section 6 [1980], Section 5 [1981], and Section 4 [1982-1985]). "Regular school" provides credit toward an academic degree or diploma. Sections 14 and 12 of, respectively, the 1979 and 1980 questionnaires collected supplementary information on the types of degrees and other certifications that the respondent had obtained.
|
| Areas of Interest | Most variables related to schooling are located in the "School," "Degrees & Certificates," or "Military" areas of interest. The yearly created variables on enrollment status and highest grade completed are found in the "Key Variables" areas of interest as are the HGC_EVER and HIGHEST_DEGREE_EVER XRND variables. The special high school course information has been placed in "Transcript Survey," while the 1981 time use data (which tracked hours and minutes spent at various major activities, including school) is located in "Time Use." Family and household member educational attainment variables are found, respectively, in the "Family Background" and "Household Record" areas of interest. The "Geocode" and "FICE" areas of interest contain data on the specific colleges attended (FICE codes) and are part of the restricted-use Geocode file. |