One of the major markers of class, a higher level of formal education generally guarantees enhanced social standing as well as increased economic potential in the workforce. Originally reserved for the elite, postsecondary education came within reach of the middle classes in the early twentieth century, with the creation of large universities, especially in the midwest, to educate aspiring businessmen. Following World War II, the GI Bill allowed many working-class Americans to afford college, and affirmative action programs in the latter part of the century expanded access even further. Today more students than ever enroll in the nation's institutions of higher learning, including millions in community colleges. Ironically those numbers have somewhat deflated the perceived value of a degree. These days many businesses expect a bachelor of arts or bachelor of science degree, even for positions that once required only a high school diploma; the ambitious must therefore attain ever higher levels of education to distinguish themselves.

Yet schools themselves, far from acting as great equalizers, can harbor class schisms, making education an arena that often reinforces class distinctions rather than erasing them. Such divisions start in the youngest grades, where disadvantaged children do not enjoy equal access to quality preschool programs. In the elementary and middle school years, racial and ethnic segregation and the uneven distribution of federal and state monies divide school districts along economic lines, hampering needy students from under-resourced schools in preparing for college. Impoverished high school students, lacking both academic and personal support, more often drop out than those from middle-income or higher-income families. And despite recent efforts to increase the numbers of underprivileged enrollees in postsecondary institutions, most selective colleges and universities accept disproportionately high numbers of students from the middle and upper classes. Thus while education provides a sound path to upward mobility, not everyone enjoys equal access to it.