Census Data Show Rise in College Degrees, but Also in Racial Gaps in Education; Chronicle of Higher Education, 1/23/11

Alex Richards, Chronicle of Higher Education; Census Data Show Rise in College Degrees, but Also in Racial Gaps in Education:

"One thing that jumps out of the data is the large educational gap experienced by blacks and Hispanics. That can be difficult to examine fairly over time because of changes in how the census has handled race and ethnicity, but a clear contrast exists with college degrees in the population as a whole.

For instance, the census estimates that in 2009, 28 percent of Americans 25 and older had at least four-year degree.s But the rate for black Americans was just 17 percent, and for Hispanic Americans only 13 percent...

"I think the backdrop to all this is that socioeconomic conditions have created an environment which makes it fairly difficult for African-American males, and African-Americans in general, to go on to college," Mr. Levine said."