Findings from the Condition of Education 1996 Minorities in Higher Education

摘要

Minorities in the United States have long suffered lower economic prosperity and social status compared to the white majority. Higher education often serves as the best means of social mobility available to our nations youth. For example, graduating from college is associated with more stable patterns of employment and higher earnings. As the gap in earnings between high school and college graduates continues to widen, college has become even more important for minorities who are trying to enter into a globally competitive labor market. This essay reviews the higher education aspirations and preparation, college enrollment, persistence, and completion rates of minorities in comparison with the majority white population. For the purpose of this essay, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) standard classification scheme is used, and the categories of black, Hispanic, Asian/Pacific Islander, and American Indian/Alaskan Native are used to denote racial/ethnic minority groups. In the data used for many comparisons, however, the sample size of the two latter groups is too small for them to be reported separately and therefore they are not shown.