College graduation rates of non-White students rising

While many higher education advocates are worried because the national college graduation rate is a less-than-stellar 54%, there’s a silver lining: more college graduates are identifying as an ethnicity other than White.

Non-White students make up larger percentage of college graduates

According to The National Center for Education Statistics, in 2009-2010, over 27 percent of all bachelor’s degrees were awarded to students who identified as Black, Hispanic, Asian/Pacific Islander, or American Indian/Alaska Native.

That’s up from the previous recorded year of 1999-2000, when 22.5 percent of bachelor’s degrees went to students who identified as an ethnicity other than White.

Advanced degrees also increasing

More minorities are also getting their associate’s degrees, master’s degrees, and doctorates compared to 10 years prior was well.

The ladies, in particular, are killin’ it:  According to the study, among U.S. residents, Black women earned 68 percent of associate’s degrees, 66 percent of bachelor’s degrees, 71 percent of master’s degrees, and 65 percent of all doctor’s degrees awarded to Black students.

College degrees by race/ethnicity and sex

Since there were more college graduates overall in 2009-2010 than ten years prior, the actual number of minorities graduating from college and earning advanced degrees has increased as well.

Check out the breakdown of the numbers and percentage of degrees conferred by sex and race/ethnicity in the chart below.