NCES Releases College Enrollment and Completion Rates: Uphill Climb for Black Men

In recent years there has been a push to increase college enrollment and completion rates to upgrade the skills of the American workforce, to bolster the nation’s global competitiveness, and to increase access to economic opportunity for nontraditional students. In fact, college enrollment in general and minority student enrollment has increased dramatically over the last decade. In an effort to increase the accountability and transparency of our postsecondary institutions, the Department of Education has required all institutions participating in federal financial aid programs to report enrollment and completion data, and in December the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) released a report with preliminary data on enrollments and completion by type of postsecondary institution disaggregated by race and ethnicity. One alarming fact is that the completion rate for black males at public 4-year institutions is only 33 percent and only 14 percent at public 2-year institutions, which are the predominant institutions for minority student enrollment. The enrollment and completion data for black students reinforces what many advocates and policymakers have been pointing to for several years – that dramatic changes are needed in our education delivery system and student support structures at our postsecondary institutions if they are to serve as the portal to labor market opportunity for students of color. With non-completion rates surpassing 80 percent, it is clear that the problems don’t simply reside in the deficits of the student population and that it is essential we examine the policies, practices, instructional technology, course alignment, relevance and connections to industry certification, financial support, and vehicles for student support.

There is growing support for career pathway approaches, which focus on all of the above and integrate academic programming, occupational preparation, student support, community level collaboration, and work experience in ways that support the retention, completion, and ultimate placement of students in high wage occupations. Dr. Shaun Harper, Director of the Center for the Study of Race and Equity in Education at the University of Pennsylvania, co-authored a report with Dr. Frank Harris, Director of the Minority Male Community College Collaborative that identifies policies and practices that can support the successful matriculation of men of color at the postsecondary level. These data reports provide tools for policymakers, administrators, advocates, funders, and civic leaders to push for the critical reforms that are needed to assure that public investments in postsecondary education are achieving robust outcomes for our minority and non-traditional student populations.