Understanding the socioeconomic profile and expectations of high school graduates in Florestal/MG can provide insights into the diversity of the population served by this small city, home to one of the campuses of the Federal University of Viçosa. This article is based on a quantitative analysis of data collected through printed questionnaires completed in classrooms in 2022, targeting all third-year daytime high school classes. The data were processed using the Jamovi software, generating descriptive analyses with chi-square tests. The findings were analyzed through the lens of the sociology of education, focusing on Bourdieu's theoretical framework. For comparative purposes, respondents were divided into three groups, representing the educational options available in the city. Group 1 (G1) comprises students enrolled in the federal high school program integrated with a technical course. Group 2 (G2) includes students enrolled in a state high school program but who attend a part-time technical course at the same campus. Finally, Group 3 (G3) consists of students attending the only state high school in the municipality, located in the city center. This categorization revealed shared social conditions among students within the same group. The study concludes that significant differences exist between the groups, illustrating how certain patterns of social reproduction persist until today. This is evident in the relationship between students' expectations and specific social markers, such as race, family income, parental education, and the need to balance work and study. These findings highlight the connections between social inequalities and educational inequalities across the three groups analyzed.