Almanac 2011: Access and Equity

Tables and Charts

Race, Ethnicity, Gender

• Minorities Constitute a Majority of College Enrollment in 3 States

• Enrollment Growth, 1999-2009: More Minorities, More Women

• Blacks, Hispanics Earn More Degrees at Faster Rates Than Other Groups Do

• Enrollment by Race of Students and Type of Institution, Fall 2009

• Private Nonprofit 4-Year Institutions Reported Highest Graduation Rates in 2009

Admissions

• Most Colleges Accept the Majority of Their Applicants

• Few Students Are Ready for College Coursework, ACT Says

• Math SAT Scores Improve for Most Groups

Financial Aid

• Many Students Graduate With No Debt, Some With a Lot

• Student-Loan Debts Are Highest, and Most Prevalent, at For-Profit Institutions

• Average Net Price of College Grows as a Share of Parents’ Income

• Largest Gains in Degree Attainment Benefited Students From the Wealthiest Families

• Even as Pell Grants Grow, They Cover a Smaller Portion of College Costs

• Proportion of Undergraduates Receiving Financial Aid and Average Amounts Awarded, 2007-8

• The Poorer the Family, the Larger the Unmet Need for Financial Aid

• For-Profit Colleges Receive a Large Share of Federal Student Aid

• Grants Edge Out Loans as Portion of Student Aid—For Now

• Most Aid to Undergraduates Has Grown Over Time

• Graduate Students Rely More on Federal Loans Than Do Undergraduates

After Graduation

• The More Education You Have, the Bigger Your Paycheck

• Bachelor’s-Degree Attainment Reaches at Least 30% in 16 States

• The Better Educated Are Less Likely to Be Unemployed

The Year in Review: Colleges Focus on Access and Equity, With Fitful Results

This past year was a mixed bag for access and equity in higher education. Both certainly remained a major focus, with federal, state, and, increasingly, local leaders pushing colleges not only to let students of all kinds in but also to help them succeed. New groups—like the National Coalition for College Completion—joined those already focused on improving student outcomes. And dozens of reports arrived lamenting the state of affairs and outlining the path forward.

But progress seemed to go two steps forward, one step back. Federal data released last year showed that the share of students receiving financial aid had increased. But how much of the change can be attributed to colleges recruiting more low-income students? MORE »

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