Ethnocultural disparities in participation in higher education among care leavers and their matched peers: A quasi-experimental design.

While disparities in higher education (HE) participation between care leavers and their peers are well documented, ethnocultural differences within these groups remain underexplored, and existing evidence-within and across countries-remains inconclusive. Drawing on longitudinal administrative data of 16 consecutive birth cohorts of alumni from educational (n = 21,654) and therapeutic (n = 3,765) residential care settings in Israel, alongside double-sized matched comparison groups (n = 43,308 and n = 7,530, respectively), this study (1) examines HE enrollment and completion among Israeli-born, Former Soviet Union immigrant, and Ethiopian immigrant care leavers, compared to same-ethnic matched peers without out-of-home care experience, and (2) predicts HE outcomes by (a) study group (care leavers vs. matched peers), (b) ethnicity, and (c) the interaction between study group and ethnicity. Bivariate and multinomial logistic analyses reveal that care leavers are less likely than their matched peers to enroll in and complete HE, with disparities more pronounced among those from therapeutic facilities. Ethiopian care leavers were far less likely than Israeli-born and Former Soviet Union immigrant care leavers to enroll in and complete HE. However, they exhibited the smallest gaps relative to their same-ethnic peers. Whereas a complex pattern of interaction between study group and ethnicity emerged in educational settings, the magnitude of ethnocultural disparities between care leavers from therapeutic settings and their matched peers was comparable. Widening participation initiatives should prioritize care leavers, recognizing care experience as a structural disadvantage. Embedding care experience awareness within institutional equity, diversity, and inclusion frameworks alongside ethnicity can improve HE outcomes for this vulnerable population. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).