The article clearly demonstrates that, in spite of changes in time and context, Józef Chałasiński’s works still hold great value for the research on the educational advancement of rural youth. Polish rural youth followed divergent paths of social advancement, yet one of them has always led through education. Education has always played a crucial role in the attainment of high social positions. It has been pointed in such studies that for the rural youth higher education signifies acquisition of non-rural ideals. Rural migrations are selective in character: those who move to the cities tend to be more industrious and better educated which only reinforces the popular conviction about negative selection to the farming profession.