First-generation students and business education: mechanisms behind unequal study success

Higher education is often presented as a pathway to social mobility, yet persistent inequalities remain between first-generation students and their continuing-generation peers. This paper explores how differences in social and cultural capital shape the experiences of first-generation students in higher education, with a particular focus on business and economic programs. Drawing on existing research and survey data from a university of applied sciences in Flanders, we show that differences in retention and graduation cannot be explained by financial constraints alone. Instead, a lasting cultural mismatch requires first-generation students to engage in higher levels of cultural adaptation work, contributing to unequal educational outcomes. The paper concludes by discussing institutional practices that may help create more inclusive forms of business education.