Institutional Social Capital and Postsecondary Outcomes

For students, navigating the U.S. higher education system requires significant institutional knowledge. This study estimates the effects of institutional social capital on postsecondary outcomes, focusing on how students’ interactions with school- and college-based actors shape their college choice and educational attainment. Using nationally representative data from the Education Longitudinal Study of 2002 and doubly robust propensity score matching models, we assess the impact of interactions with high school teachers, coaches, guidance counselors, and college representatives on postsecondary enrollment and degree completion. The results indicate that meeting with a coach, counselor, or college representative significantly increase students’ likelihood of enrolling in a four-year college, whereas meeting with a teacher has no such effect. Counselors and college representatives also positively impact enrollment in two-year or less-than-two-year institutions, though the effects are smaller than those for four-year enrollment. All four types of institutional interactions increase students’ likelihood of earning a bachelor’s degree, while none affect sub-baccalaureate credential completion. These findings suggest that institutional actors can play a critical role in promoting four-year college enrollment and completion but are less effective in facilitating access to alternative postsecondary pathways. By isolating the effects of students’ interactions with distinct institutional agents, this study contributes to the literature on social capital and highlights the importance of broader college-related support beyond traditional counseling roles.