College Outcomes for Young Adults With and Without Learning Disabilities and ADHD: Formal-Disability-Programming and Informal-Disability-Supports

Inequalities by disability status in college outcomes contribute to inequalities throughout adulthood in multiple domains. As the share of students with learning disabilities and/or ADHD increases on college campuses, research is needed on how best to support these undergraduates, both through formal and informal means. We integrate the social and medical models of disability with data on nearly 17,000 young adults in the US, who typically finished high school in 2013, and find that formal-disability-programming relates negatively to college enrollment but has no apparent bearing on college persistence. Among youth with similar sociodemographic backgrounds and comparable end of high-school achievement levels, youth with a learning disability or ADHD who participate in special education during high school are less likely to enroll in college than youth with a learning disability or ADHD who do not. Multiple informal-disability-supports retain a significant relationship with college enrollment and persistence, even after accounting for important potential confounders. These supports may improve college outcomes because they demonstrate the relevance of education for careers (e.g. internships), build dominant social and cultural capital (e.g. high-school counselors, career services), build human capital (e.g. college exam prep, academic support for college courses), and increase accessibility (e.g. online programs).