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In this article we describe evolving educational aspirations and practices of female high school students and their families in the context of rapidly changing education and employment markets in Kolkata. We interviewed 35 families of girls attending two government high schools. The families are from lower middle-class and lower income backgrounds. The latter see access to education as a way towards upward social mobility. Using gender and social class as axes of analysis, we explore how these families negotiate educational aspirations and practices in connection with married life and motherhood. We also look at the influence of social, cultural, and economic capitals on the formation of aspirations, knowledge about careers, and the ability to put aspirations into practice. This work contributes to the domain of research on education and social class in India with a gendered perspective and a unique setting in government high schools for girls. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]