A number of studies have demonstrated a significant, positive relationship between parental education level and the likelihood of graduating from high school. Leventhal, Graber, and Brooks-Gunn (2001), in an analysis of a sample of Black urban children, found that children whose mothers graduated from high school were moderately more likely to graduate from high school. Haveman and Wolfe (1995), in their analysis of PSID data, found that having a mother who graduated from high school or a father who graduated from high school increased adolescents' likelihood of graduating from high school, after controlling for background factors. Myers, Moore, Morrison, Nord, and Brown (1992), in an analysis of NLSY, found that having better-educated parents was associated with higher number of years of schooling completed. Mensch and Kandel (1988) found that paternal education was associated with decreased likelihood of dropping out of high school for both men and women. However, maternal education was associated with decreased likelihood of dropping out of high school for women only. Haveman and Wolfe (1995) found that having a mother who was a college graduate or a father who was a college graduate were not significantly predictive of likelihood to graduate from high school, after controlling for background factors; however they found that having parents who were college graduates to increase number of years of schooling completed.

Research has also shown that parental education is associated with increased probability of attending college. Haveman and Wolfe (1995) found that parental education, as indicated by high school graduation, attending some college, and having a father who is a college graduate, is related to a higher likelihood of attending college, after controlling for background factors. Borus and Carpenter (1984) found that high school seniors whose fathers were high school graduates were more likely to attend college than those whose fathers were not. Parental educational attainment was also found to be a significant predictor of college attendance of rural students in an analysis of a national sample (Smith, 1995).