In 2008, Congress directed the U.S. Department of Education to produce a report examining the gaps in educational participation and attainment of White males versus Black, Hispanic, American Indian/Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander males, and the participation and attainment of their female counterparts. This month, the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) released the report, and the findings indicate that gaps in persistence and access continue. The findings include:
- In 2008-2009, fewer males than females of all race/ethnicities examined graduated with a regular high school diploma.
- In 2010, fewer young males, aged 18 to 24, were enrolled in college or graduate school.
- Among beginning postsecondary students who were recent high school graduates in 2004, males were 32 percent less likely to attain an associate or bachelor’s degree by 2009 than their female counterparts.
- Black students were 43 percent less likely than White students, and Hispanic students were 25 percent less likely, to attain an associate or bachelor’s degree after accounting for background variables.
Read the full report:Â Higher Education: Gaps in Access and Persistence Study
Kara Herbertson, Education Policy Analyst
Tags: Post Secondary Access and Affordability, postsecondary