Broken Mirrors

Research Rundown Issue: December '19
Publisher: The Education Trust
Date Published: March '19

Description

In their Broken Mirrors series, The Education Trust examined black and Latino student representation amongst undergraduates and degree earners. Overall, they found that public institutions in too many states are falling short of their obligation to help these students enroll and complete college.

They found that only three states had an equitable share of black bachelor’s degree earners compared to the state’s demographics and that black students are also underrepresented amongst associate degree earners in more than 30 states. Moreover, in every state they studied, Latino students are underrepresented at both the associate and bachelor’s level. They also found disparities in access to selective public colleges and universities.

Why This Matters in Minnesota

In 2015, the Minnesota legislature passed a law setting a statewide target that 70% of Minnesota adults ages 25-44 will have attained a postsecondary certificate or degree by 2025.  The Education Trust’s State Equity Report Card ranked Minnesota 23 out of 41 states for the percentage of black adults who have a college degree. However, when measuring the difference in degree attainment between black and white adults, Minnesota ranks 40 out of 41. For Latino adults, Minnesota ranks 17 out of 44 in the percentage of Latino adults who have a college degree, and 37 out of 44 for the degree attainment gap between Latino and white adults. As we work to reach our state’s attainment goal, it’s important to have a comprehensive understanding of the gaps so that we can equitably distribute resources and provide targeted support.