Numerous studies have found that measured cognitive ability is not only a strong predictor of school attainment, but also of a range of social outcome behaviors (see for example Saroza and Urzua, 2013; Heckman and Rubinstein, 2001; Duckworth and Seligman, 2005).

Cognitive skills can be understood as “verbal, reading, and writing abilities as well as those in mathematics, science, music, and art” (Farkas, 2003:543). The definition can also include “all forms of knowing and awareness such as perceiving, conceiving, remembering, reasoning, judging, imagining, and problem solving” (APA, 2006).

Non-cognitive skills are more vaguely specified as motivational and personality traits such as hard work, conscientiousness, self-discipline, determination, and also the way individuals think and feel about themselves in terms of self-concept, self-esteem and self-efficacy (Borghans et al., 2008).

Measured skills, both cognitive and non-cognitive, are closely related to schooling but skills accumulation depends upon the learning and upbringing earlier in life. Carneiro and Heckman (2003), Cunha, Heckman, Lochner, and Masterov (2006) and Heckman and Masterov (2004) found that parents play an important role in developing both the cognitive and non-cognitive skills of their children. It has also been established, that further schooling has a larger impact on skills if it builds on a larger skills base developed earlier (Cunha and Heckman 2007). This could, for example, mean that children who have been raised and taught to be persistent and cooperative, through these non-cognitive skills cumulatively develop their cognitive skills.

This paper presents an analysis of the effects of both cognitive and non-cognitive skills on grades in grade 9 and subsequently on college attendance. We present a model with one latent cognitive skill variable and three latent non-cognitive skill variables, grades achieved and the individuals’ choices to attend college.

This paper contributes to the literature by analyzing the impact of cognitive and non-cognitive skills on the likelihood of going to college. Since cognitive and non-cognitive skills are developed differently among different groups in the society, aspects such as parental education, ethnic background and other socio-economic variables are included in the analysis.

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