This paper analyzes the relative impacts that geographic and social class differences have on the participation rates in a country's educational programs. The author reasons that while regional disparities are common in many countries and differences between rural and urban areas are large, socioeconomic distributions account for most of the regional variation in school attendance. The paper indicates that rates of educational participation are directly related to social class and that upper strata youth are highly over-represented, especially in higher education. The author concludes that even if disparities in participation were to narrow or to disappear, differences in kinds and quality of education would create gaps in education equally as important as those now observed with regard to participation. Related documents are ED 057 470 and EA 004 426. (RA)