It is the time of year when I compile the Top 100 Producers for Diverse Issues Magazine. This year, I noticed a few intriguing trends for bachelor’s degrees conferred.
Remote Learning
First, the effects of remote learning and online graduation during the COVID-19 pandemic differed across groups. Although the number of bachelor’s degrees awarded to international students decreased, the overall number of bachelor’s degrees conferred in the academic year 2019-20 was higher than the previous year. Moreover, the number of bachelor’s degrees awarded in 2020-21 was higher than the previous year. This suggests that students in their junior or senior year when the pandemic started were more likely to continue their studies through remote and hybrid learning.
In the academic year 2021-22, the number of conferred bachelor’s degrees decreased by 55,645 compared to the previous year. Although bachelor’s degrees for two or more races, unknown race, or Asian Americans increased, it was not enough to compensate for the decrease in other groups. The decline in the number of white graduates, 42,454 fewer degrees, explains 76% of the net reduction in bachelor’s degrees. Of the total decrease among whites, 53% was accounted for by white women who had 22,337 fewer degrees. The decline in bachelor’s degrees conferred to Blacks and Hispanics was 20% (8,284) and 5% (2,257), respectively, in the academic year 2021-22 (See Table 1).
Source: Author’s calculation using 2021-22 Completions Data, Integrated Postsecondary Education D Data System, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Statistics. https://nces.ed.gov/ipeds/use-the-data
The Most Educated Group
Second, I came across an article that repeats the false claim that Black women are the most educated group in the US. However, the data provided to support this claim reveals that it is untrue. In fact, for the last two years, Hispanic women have earned more bachelor’s degrees than Black men and women combined (See Table 1). This trend is valid for associate degrees but not for advanced degrees. Notably, associate and bachelor’s degrees accounted for about 75% of all degrees conferred during these years. Graph 1 provides the difference in degrees earned by Hispanic women and Black men and women.
Source: Author’s calculation using 2021-22 Completions Data, Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Statistics. https://nces.ed.gov/ipeds/use-the-data
Legal Initiatives
Although institutions collect information on race and ethnicity, the Department of Education instructions require them to “Report Hispanic/Latino individuals of any race as Hispanic/Latino.” Therefore, the data does not allow for the disaggregation of Hispanics by race or origin, making it difficult to determine if the increase in bachelor’s degrees conferred to Hispanics is due to the progress of historically marginalized Hispanic groups or recent Hispanic immigrants.
With the repeal of affirmative action in college admissions, the Department of Education must collect and provide data that allow for the disaggregation of IPEDS data to determine whether these educational gains are made by one or more of these groups. Such data will allow institutions to develop lawful initiatives to increase college enrollment and completion rates.
