‘Unacceptable Gaps Persist’: A New Report Details Higher Ed’s Racial and Ethnic Disparities

Racial and ethnic disparities in college degree completion persist despite increasing student diversity in higher education, according to a new report from the American Council on Education. Nearly a quarter of U.S. adults ages 25 and older, 23.4%, had a bachelor’s degree as their highest level of educational attainment in 2022, according to the report. Yet that was true for only 12.8% American Indian or Alaskan Native adults, 14.5% of Hispanic or Latino adults, 17.3% of Black or African American adults, and 19.5% of Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander adults. Meanwhile, more than a quarter of White adults, 26.1%, and one third of Asian adults, 33.1%, had a bachelor’s degree as their highest level of attainment in 2022. These racial and ethnic disparities continued at the master’s, professional and doctoral levels, the report found.