Who Makes It to Middle Class? The Advantaged

Roughly two out of every three Americans wind up in the middle class or higher by the time they turn 40, but it's a lot more likely to happen if you're born into wealthy family to begin with, according to a new study from the Brookings Institution. Children born to rich families had a 75% chance of winding up in middle class, here defined as having an income in the top three quintiles. Those born to poor families had only a 40% chance, the New York Times reports.

Race played a huge factor as well. The study set up benchmarks of success for each stage in life. For teens, for example, they were graduating high school with at least a 2.5 gpa, not having a criminal record, and not having children. Only two in five black teens hit all those marks, compared to two-thirds of whites. The study also emphasized the value of early success—hitting one benchmark made you much more likely to hit the next. (More middle class stories.)