【Thevast，ruralstretchesoftheUnitedStateshave，inmanyways，definedtheAmericanspirit．Upuntilthe20thcentury，themajorityofAmericanslivedinthecountryside，inwhat'scalled"MiddleAmerica"or"theHeartland"】
The vast，rural stretches of the United States have，in many ways，defined the American spirit．Up until the 20th century，the majority of Americans lived in the countryside，in what's called"Middle America"or"the Heartland"．
But research has shown that growing up in America's Heartland can put students at a disadvantage when it comes to their college education．This，in turn，can hinder （to make it difficult for something to develop or succeed ）their social mobility．
A 2015study released by the US Department of Education investigated the gap between urban and rural college students，by concentrating on a group of high school graduates from Indiana．
US'national statistics had previously shown that only 27percent of rural students enroll in college，compared to 37percent of city kids．
What the study found was that urban and rural students left high school with similar academic backgrounds．Yet，the rural students were more inclined to settle for two-year colleges or less selective universities，even though they had the potential to attend to better schools．
The researchers say distance heavily influenced the students'decisions．"The farther rural graduates'high schools were from colleges，the more likely rural graduates were to enroll in a two-year college or to‘undermatch'with a college，"the report read．Many of the rural students indicated that living close to family was a priority．
But the researchers also noted that resources were scarcer for the rural students．Selective universities tended to concentrate their recruitment efforts on dense，urban centers，where there were more students to meet．
A rural teen's educational opportunities may also depend on gender．Casey Quinlan，writing for The Atlantic，notes that rural women are more likely to marry sooner．"Early marriage occurs most frequently among young adults with low educational background，"Quinlan said，citing a 2010study．