Publication Date

Spring 2026

Degree Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Education (EdD)

Department

Education

Advisor

Ferdinand Rivera; Keenan Norris; Kathleen McConnell

Abstract

Community colleges serve as critical entry points into higher education, yet they continue to carry stigma, particularly within affluent communities where four-year institutions are often positioned as the expected pathway. While existing research has examined student and public perceptions, little attention has been given to how parents in affluent regions shape and transmit these narratives. This study investigated how parents in an affluent region of the San Francisco Bay Area perceive community college as a starting point for their children’s academic careers and how parents may contribute to shifting those perceptions. Using a convergent parallel mixed methods design, survey data were collected from 32 parents and semi-structured interviews were conducted with six parents. Quantitative analyses examined relationships among knowledge level, household income, social circle perceptions, parental influence, and overall perception, while qualitative analysis identified themes of prestige, conditional acceptance, financial strategy, knowledge gaps, and parental agency. Social circle perception emerged as the strongest predictor of overall parental perception, whereas knowledge level was not significantly associated. These findings suggest that in affluent contexts, community college stigma functions less as a knowledge deficit and more as a socially reinforced hierarchy of institutional prestige. The study introduces the Parental Perception Influence Model (PPIM), positioning parents as central agents in shaping postsecondary narratives and decision-making.

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