Download

Download Full Text (644 KB)

Description

Historically, rural students attend four-year higher education institutions at lower rates than their urban peers. Similarly, they also obtain post-secondary degrees at lower rates. This paper examines the state of rural education in Nevada to illuminate disparities in academic outcomes between rural and non-rural students, particularly college degree attainment. The results show that, despite virtually equal high school graduation rates for rural and urban students, rural students face more obstacles to obtaining a college degree. The findings highlight the implications of Nevada’s recent K-12 funding formula change to a Pupil-Centered Funding Plan (PCFP) on college preparedness. Rural students’ academic experiences in high school are particularly relevant to degree attainment. Public university funding formulas and the lack of Rural Serving Institutions (RSIs) in Nevada hinder rural students' ability to obtain degrees at four-year institutions.

Publisher Location

Las Vegas (Nev.)

Publication Date

Spring 4-17-2026

Publisher

University of Nevada, Las Vegas

Language

English

Keywords

Nevada; Rural; Education; Degree-attainment; Urban

Disciplines

Education | Educational Administration and Supervision | Elementary and Middle and Secondary Education Administration

File Format

PDF

File Size

589 KB

Comments

Mentor: Rafael Oganesyan

Rights

IN COPYRIGHT. For more information about this rights statement, please visit http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

Rural vs. Non-rural Higher Education Degree Attainment: A Study of Higher Education in Nevada


Share

COinS