Paternal Involvement Increases College Graduation Rates

Teenagers with “very involved” fathers were 105 percent more likely to graduate from college than teens who reported that their fathers were not involved, according to a study published in the American Enterprise Institute.

While there have been a number of studies linking fathers with their children’s welfare, few have actually looked at paternal involvement and its impact on college graduation. Wilcox pulled data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health), which looked at American students in grades 7 through 12 during the 1994-1995 school year, finding that young adults with involved fathers were much more likely to graduate from college: Eighteen percent of teenagers in the Add Health study responded that their fathers were not involved in their lives at all.

Why is paternal involvement so linked with a college degree? Wilcox offers four possible reasons:

1. Involved fathers may provide their children with homework help or other knowledge that helps them become academically successful.
2. Involved fathers may help children stay on the right track and steer away from risky behaviors that could prevent them from completing college.
3. Involved fathers may also help to create an authoritative family environment conducive to learning.
4. Involved fathers may be more likely to support their children financially.

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