Abstract
This study examined the relationship between parents’ educational attainment and socioeconomic disparities among first-year college students. To this end, a quantitative methodology with a cross-sectional and relational design was applied to 233 students in the Academic Unit of Accounting and Administration at the Universidad Autónoma de Zacatecas in September 2025. The study’s variables encompassed parents’ educational attainment, which was categorized as basic, secondary, or higher education, in addition to economic circumstances, family environment characteristics, housing conditions, and access to fundamental services. The statistical analysis was conducted using Pearson’s chi-square test and Cramér’s V test. The findings indicated substantial socioeconomic disparities associated with parental educational attainment, manifesting in domains such as family income, housing conditions, access to goods and services, and the type of transportation utilized by students. Variables such as parental occupation demonstrated stronger associations, while income and certain housing conditions exhibited moderate or weak associations. The findings of this study indicate that parental educational attainment exerts a substantial influence on the socioeconomic status of students, thereby offering implications for the development of institutional policies that are oriented toward promoting equity in higher education.