Socioeconomic Status and Educational Aspirations: A Multi-level Analysis of Youth in Developing Countries

This multi-level analysis examined the relationship between socioeconomic status (SES) and educational aspirations among 12,456 youth aged 15-18 across 23 developing countries using data from the World Values Survey and national education statistics. Hierarchical linear modeling revealed that while individual SES was a strong predictor of educational aspirations (β = 0.42), country-level factors including public education expenditure, gender equality indices, and urbanization rates significantly moderated this relationship. In countries with higher education spending, the SES-aspiration gap was reduced by 35%. The study highlights the importance of structural interventions and provides policy recommendations for enhancing educational aspirations among disadvantaged youth.