The Postsecondary Education Pathways of Canadian Immigrants: Who Goes and How Do They Get There?

Abstract

This article aims to describe and understand the postsecondary education pathway morphology of Canadian youth from the province of Quebec with immigrant family origins, as well as the factors that contribute to its structuration. Results from a subsample of 20,387 students reveal that they generally acces postsecondary education and follow a linear pathway at higher rates than their peers whose parents were born in Canada. However, significant differences exist between first and second generation immigrants, as well as when parental geographic region of origin is considered.  In conclusion, several possible interpretations are proposed.