What Percentage of Low Income Students Obtain a PhD?

[chaospaladin]

While it is a confirmed fact that only 13% of students who come from low income families eventually earn a Bachelor's degree or higher in their lifetime, what is the percentage of students who come from low income families who eventually earn a PhD? A low income family is defined as a family who makes less than $45,000 US Dollars per year.

Edited March 11, 2011 by chaospaladin

[Eigen]

You'll have to define low-income for anyone to answer in a qualified fashion. I'll add that I'd consider nearly everyone in my graduate program to be "low income".

Edited March 11, 2011 by Eigen

[chaospaladin]

I would like to define a low-income family as one who makes less than $45,000 US Dollars per year. I would also like to change my question from "low income students" to "students coming from low income families." The reason for this is obvious. A student who does not work and therefore has an income of $0 per year but comes from a family who makes over $200,000 in US Dollars per year still has an advantage in terms of resources than a student who has a part-time job that pays minimum wage who comes from a family that makes less than $45,000 US Dollars a year.

[Eigen]

Honestly, by the time you're in grad school, your parents money can either make a big difference or not at all.

That said, I'd still say most of the students in our program are low-income families. No idea on global statistics, or even if someone collects this.

[NadaJ]

Have you taken a look at The Chronicle of Higher Education's Facts and Figures?