Podcast Summary: Educated Out—How Rural Students Navigate Elite Colleges—and What It Costs Them

New Books Network — Academic Life
Host: Dr. Christina Gessler
Guest: Dr. Mara Tieken (author, professor of education at Bates College)
Air Date: February 5, 2026

Episode Overview

This episode delves into Dr. Mara Tieken’s book, Educated Out: How Rural Students Navigate Elite Colleges—And What It Costs Them. Dr. Tieken, drawing from extensive research with nine rural, first-generation students at an elite liberal arts college (anonymized as "Hilltop"), discusses the challenges, costs, and hard-won successes these students face—along with implications for policy, college access, and the persistent stereotypes surrounding rural students in higher education.

Dr. Mara Tieken’s Background and Path to Research

• Professional Journey ([00:41]):

  • Professor of Education at Bates College, with a focus on rural education since 2011.
  • Former elementary teacher in rural Tennessee, now living in rural Maine.
  • Personal and familial experiences shaped awareness of the deep impact of place on education.

• Observations that Sparked the Book ([01:36]–[05:28]):

  • As a teacher and later a professor, Dr. Tieken noticed few of her former rural students enrolling in four-year colleges, despite their abilities.
  • Early realization of a disconnect: 20% of American children attend rural schools, yet policy and academic research often ignore their unique experiences and needs.

Quote:
“Why is it that about 20% of our kids are in rural schools, yet we kind of ignore them? When you think about practice and policy, they tend to privilege more urban places.” — Dr. Tieken ([04:15])

The Research Project: Methods and Ethics

• Project Genesis ([06:40]):

  • Research began in 2014, driven by questions: Why aren’t rural students enrolling in elite colleges—and what happens to those who do?
  • Study followed nine rural, first-generation students from pre-matriculation to after graduation at “Hilltop College.”

• Recruitment and Demographics ([08:58]):

  • Students recruited via the college’s registrar/admissions; only six eligible in the first year, revealing a huge gap between administrative perception and actual rural student presence (1–2% of student body).
  • All nine students identified as first-generation; two were female, the rest male.

• Research Ethics and Sensitivity ([11:14]):

  • Dr. Tieken provided students input on pseudonyms and identity representation; handled disclosure of sensitive issues (e.g., mental health, LGBTQ identity) based on student agency.
  • Employed a sensitivity reader matching students’ backgrounds to ensure appropriate handling.

Unpacking Narratives About Elite Colleges & Rural Students

Cultural Myths, Belonging, and Conditional Acceptance

• Elite College Narrative ([12:50]):
  • Elite colleges bill themselves as destinations for “the best and brightest,” offering abundant resources and opportunities.
  • Dr. Tieken challenges the “merit” narrative, highlighting how it is deeply entangled with race, class, and geography.

Quote:
“‘Best and brightest’ signifies something beyond merit and preparation... it also signifies something about race, class, and geography.” — Dr. Gessler, summarizing Dr. Tieken ([13:20])

• Belonging and Stigma Post-2016 ([14:08]):
  • The 2016 presidential election intensified rural stereotypes (“ignorant,” “backwards”), further marginalizing rural students.
  • Students felt their “belonging” on campus was fragile and conditional—directly tied to rural origin, class, and sometimes race.

Quote:
“That sense of belonging is really conditional for them, and it's very much tied to geography... also certainly tied to class, and then for some students, also tied to race.” — Dr. Tieken ([16:30])

Chapter Highlights & Key Findings

Application and Arrival

• Overcoming Barriers to Application ([18:53]):
  • Parental encouragement a major factor—contrary to stereotypes, rural parents value higher education but are skeptical of costs and opportunities to return home.
  • Students face weak college counseling, fewer AP courses, need for extensive financial aid, and often low expectations from school staff.

Quote:
“I've never met people that don't value education. They might not value the kind of education they had, but by and large, people want education and they want that for their children.” — Dr. Tieken ([19:38])

• Early Campus Life Realities ([24:17]):
  • Students often reported “doing well” even when struggling acutely; parents revealed the deeper challenges (academic preparedness, homesickness, culture shock).

Quote:
“For two of the students in particular, they had a really, really difficult first year... for some, it wasn't apparent until I talked to their parents.” — Dr. Tieken ([24:24])

Academic and Social Challenges

• First-generation Struggles ([25:55]):
  • Rural first-gen students not only adjust to college but also must “decode” institutional norms (e.g., office hours), not knowing what resources or support to access.
  • Their struggles are compounded by the internalization of academic gaps as personal failings, not systemic inequities.

Quote:
“They blame themselves... rather than, ‘I attended a high school that because of the way we fund our public schools, it was not adequately funded.’” — Dr. Tieken ([26:28])

• Isolation and Relational Costs ([28:39]):
  • While all students face challenges, the sense of not belonging and relational costs (estrangement, identity conflict) are disproportionate.

Quote:
“The trade offs, the costs, didn’t need to or shouldn't need to be so high for them.” — Dr. Tieken ([29:26])

• Bubbles Within Bubbles ([31:41]):
  • Elite campuses represent “intellectual,” “political,” and “wealth” bubbles, often starkly at odds with students’ home communities (which may be more conservative, less affluent).

Quote:
“There are these ivory towers, right. And the kind of knowledge and expertise that's valued at home is really, really different… They would often talk about not being in the real world.” — Dr. Tieken ([33:17])

Post-Graduation Reflections & Policy Questions

• The Place-Based Education Gap ([37:37]):
  • Urban-rural post-secondary attainment gap persists (45% urban adults have a degree versus 31% of rural adults).
  • This gap is growing, with implications for jobs, wage growth, civic participation, and intergenerational opportunity.

Quote:
“Even though more people now are going to college and earning degrees, the gap is actually getting bigger over time, not reducing.” — Dr. Tieken ([38:26])

• Are Elite Degrees Worth the Cost? ([39:48]):
  • Students emerge hopeful but debt-burdened, distrusting the concept of “meritocracy.”
  • They challenge the prevailing debate about who “should” go to college, emphasizing the importance of access, not prescription.

Quote:
“The controversy should be whether everyone has access to it or not, not whether everybody should go.” — Liliana, student participant ([40:19])

Broader Takeaways & Hopes

• Debates Should Center on Choice and Opportunity ([40:43]):
  • Dr. Tieken urges a move away from prescriptive debates about rural futures; focus should be on expanding authentic options for rural youth.
  • The students’ journeys directly contest stereotypes of rural people as disinterested in or incapable of higher education.

Quote:
“I hope that… some of these students’ stories can get out there and be a part of how we think about opportunity for all students, including those students that are from rural places.” — Dr. Tieken ([42:04])

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “Why is it that about 20% of our kids are in rural schools, yet we kind of ignore them?” — Dr. Tieken ([04:15])
• “Their sense of belonging is really conditional... tied to geography…to class...sometimes to race.” — Dr. Tieken ([16:30])
• “I’ve never met people that don’t value education…by and large, people want education for their children.” — Dr. Tieken ([19:38])
• “The controversy should be whether everyone has access to [college] or not, not whether everybody should go.” — Liliana ([40:19])

Key Timestamps for Reference

• Dr. Tieken’s Background & Motivation: [00:41]–[05:28]
• Research Methods & Ethics: [06:40]–[11:14]
• Challenges to Application & Parental Influence: [18:53]
• First-Year Struggles & Parental Perspectives: [24:17]–[25:09]
• Belonging, Bubble, and Conditional Acceptance: [14:08], [31:41]
• The Urban–Rural Education Gap & Policy Needs: [37:37]
• Student Voice on Access vs. Mandate: [40:19]

Closing Message

Dr. Tieken and her students call for a nuanced view of rural students in elite college contexts—one that values their ambitions, recognizes their barriers, and demands real options without the excessive personal, relational, and cultural costs current structures impose.

For listeners interested in further detail, Dr. Tieken’s book includes a comprehensive appendix on research methods and ethics, and richly features the voices of the nine students and their families.