Academic Elitism: Parental Education and the Career Experiences of Faculty in U.S. Institutions

The U.S. academy has long been accused of elitism. Evidence of high proportions of faculty with PhD parents suggest generational effects on inclusion and access to the profession. Conversely, increased attention to first generation university graduates has not extended to those who succeed in breaking through the potential barriers of generational elitism, completing their doctoral degrees and entering the professoriate. Using a nationwide sample of academic scientists in the United States from across four STEM disciplines and across institutions, we examine the extent to which socioeconomic status offers advantage (or disadvantage) to faculty as they advance in their careers. We find that faculty with PhD parents are one and a half times more likely to work at higher-ranked and more competitive universities, while first-generation faculty are three times more likely to work in lower-ranked and non-doctoral-serving institutions. We find that first-generation scholars are especially disadvantaged in navigating the competitive work environment of research-intensive institutions.