Racial and Ethnic Disparity in College Attendance

The state of California recognizes that it has a significant issue in the disparity among students attending college right after high school. Not only does it lag slightly behind the national average of 40% of high school seniors who move directly to higher education, it's numbers demonstrate the racial and ethnic gap not uncommon across the country.

Not surprisingly, Latinos and African American students are less likely to go directly to college. State wide, 40% of white students move on directly to college, compared with 32% of African American students and only 22% of Latinos. 60% of Asian students enroll in college.

The state is exploring ways to boost enrollment, especially as minorities represent an increasing majority of the population for California - and the country. (The Ukiah Daily Journal August 12, 2005)