Indicators of Higher Education Equity in the United States
Posted by Pell Institute for the Study of Opportunity in Higher Education on May 9, 2016
Higher Education Attainment by Family Income: Current Data Show Persistent Gaps
On April 19, 2016, the Pell Institute for the Study of Opportunity in Higher Education and the University of Pennsylvania Alliance for Higher Education and Democracy (PennAHEAD) released Indicators of Higher Education Equity in the United States, a historical trend report focused on educational attainment by family income. The report examines historical trend data related to six primary indicators: postsecondary enrollment rates, type of institution attended, financial aid, means of funding one’s education, college attainment rates, and educational attainment in the United States compared to other nations. Included in the report are also data disaggregated by race and ethnicity as well as a series of essays reflecting on the findings and offering policy recommendations.
The report points toward continuing economic stratification in who attends college, where they enroll, how they fund their educations, and how likely they are to earn bachelor’s degrees. It also underscores the slipping international status of the United States in bachelor’s degree attainment. The inequities that the report highlights have considerable implications for both individuals and the nation: as contributing essayists Laura W. Perna and Roman Ruiz note, higher education yields “countless benefits for individuals,” and “our society also benefits” (76).
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