About High School and Beyond

Overview

High School and Beyond (HS&B:80) is the second major longitudinal study of U.S. high school students conducted by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES).

Launched in 1980, HS&B:80 follows two distinct cohorts—sophomores and seniors—from high school into adulthood. The study was designed to be comparative, both across the two HS&B cohorts and the other NCES studies.

Study Design and Data Collection

  • Sample
    • Nationally representative sample of U.S. high schools
    • Up to 18 sophomores and 18 seniors per school (1980)
  • Follow-Up Waves
    • Participants were resurveyed six times:
      • 1982
      • 1984
      • 1986
      • 1992 (sophomores only)
      • 2014 (sophomores) and 2015 (seniors)
      • 2021
    • High school transcripts collected in 1983; college transcripts collected in 1993. 

Purpose and Evolutions

Historical HS&B:80 data include standardized academic and cognitive assessments, surveys with students, teachers, school administrators, and parents to understand the diverse factors that influence educational attainment, vocational outcomes, and life-course transitions among young Americans.

In 2014-2015, with funding from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, the Spencer Foundation, the Institute of Education Sciences, and the National Science Foundation, EdSHARe launched a fifth follow-up to understand how education and experiences shape midlife health and working life. Read more on the Cohort Profile.

In 2021, with funding from the National Institute on Aging and the Alzheimer’s Association, EdSHARe conducted a new follow-up, adding biomarker collection and neurocognitive assessments to understand how education and early-life factor shape cognitive health and aging. Read more in the Updated Cohort Profile.

HS&B:80 Waves Contents and Purposes Over Time

Features 1980-1992 Follow-Ups 2014-2015 Follow-Ups 2021 Follow-Up
Main Purpose: How does education shape... ...degree attainment, early career ...working longer ...cognitive functioning and aging
Mode In-Person, Phone, Paper Phone or Web (backup paper) Phone or Web (backup paper)
Neurocognitive Assessments No No Yes
Physical Measures No No Yes
Biomarkers No No Blood, saliva
Administrative Records High School and College Transcripts Mortality, Voting, Real Estate Mortality, Voting, Consumer Credit, Pharmacy
Spatial Location Yes Yes Yes

Why HS&B:80 Matters

HS&B:80 offers a unique longitudinal perspective on how education affects the life course, including midlife health, working trajectories, and cognitive outcomes. The addition of biomarker and neurocognitive data in recent waves places HS&B:80 at the forefront of research on aging and cognition.

Learn More