When it comes to the number of students going on to some form of higher education, Kern County lags behind the state.

Stats from the California Postsecondary Education Commission show the college-going rate for 2007 for Kern County at 44.1 percent. The statewide average is 48 percent.

Most public high schools in Kern County send less than half of their graduates to college. Taft Union High School has the highest college-going rate at 75.6 percent, while North High School is among the lowest at 40.4 percent.

"It's costly, and many of our students don't have the financial means to pay for it," said Cy Silver, coordinator of the AVID program at North High.

AVID stands for Advancement Via Individual Determination. Students who have the academic potential but not the financial means for college are identified and helped getting into college.

Besides cost, Silva says Kern County has a certain culture where many students just assume they will get a job once they graduate rather than go to some form of higher education.

For many students who are planning on going on to college, they are usually the first ones in their family to do so.

"The fact that my parents didn't go to college made me want to pursue a college education more," said North High senior Ariel Huff.

The overwhelming number of students who do continue their education choose a community college and then transfer to a four-year school.

To see how a particular school ranks in college-going rates, click on Inside Eyewitness on this Web site.