Tertiary education decisions of immigrants and non-immigrants in Italy: an empirical approach

Decisions regarding tertiary schooling are important for young people as it affects future opportunities for employment and social mobility. Tertiary schooling also plays a role in the social integration of immigrants. To determine differences in the choices of young Italian natives and immigrants concerning education, two datasets for 2009 were used: European Union Statistics on Income and Living Conditions (EU-SILC) and the Italian Survey on Income and Living Conditions of Families with Immigrants in Italy (IT-SILCFI). Analysing a sub-sample of young Italians and immigrants, between 20 and 29 years of age, the association of both individual and family explanatory variables in the choice of secondary schooling (yes/no) was assessed using logistic models. The results show that young immigrants tend to interrupt their schooling earlier than their Italian peers. However, differences disappear when family background and parental characteristics are taken into account.