Who transitions into post-secondary education and why? A systematic review of the Canadian landscape

Decades of research have documented rates of student transitions into post-secondary education (PSE). A large majority of secondary students expect to obtain some level of PSE and are either motivated by their own personal interest, parental influences, or economic reasons. In 2020, The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) reported that Canada had an 86% secondary graduation rate. The percentage of those students who transitioned directly into post-secondary institutions is unclear, as enrolment rates can include direct and delayed entry. Using systematic review methods and reflective thematic analysis, we identified trends in the literature that cite family influences geographic influences, sex, various school influences, and race and ethnicity as key impacts on students’ decisions to transition to PSE.