The State of Latinos in Higher Education in California
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
The StateLatinos of Higher Educationin in California The economic and social imperative for advancing Latino college achievement NOVEMBER 2013 The economic and social imperative for advancing Latino college achievement he Latino population in California is large, growing dynamics of California today. California needs to get to work. rapidly, and on its way to attaining majority status in It needs to develop a workforce that is prepared and that will Tless than 40 years.1 However, Latino college-degree strengthen our economy. attainment is low, despite a significant increase in college- going rates. But, as the Campaign for College Opportunity has found in this report, which is part of a new series on the State of Great promise, but far from being kept Higher Education in California, we are on track to produce a generation of young people less educated than our older In 2012, seven out of 10 Latino high school graduates in the population. The principal reason is that one of the largest and U.S. enrolled in college, a rate higher than that of their White fastest growing segments of our population—native-born and counterparts, according to a Pew Research Center study.2 immigrant Latinos—has unacceptably low rates of college Research also has consistently confirmed that despite low completion. educational attainment among Latinos, Latino parents have high The state of educational attainment for Latinos in California educational aspirations for their raises questions about equity and fairness in our society, but children and believe that a college on a practical dollars-and-cents level, it also raises concerns education is critical to their future about our collective future and the strength of our economy success. Recent Public Policy and workforce if we do not act now to strengthen our most Institute of California (PPIC) critical resource: our human capital. Statewide Surveys found that 83 percent of Latino parents hope their For a more prosperous California, we need significantly more children earn at least a bachelor’s Latino students to fulfill their academic goals and attain degree and 92 percent of Latinos college degrees and credentials. This will not only make believe that a college education is their lives better, but ensure a strong economy for the “very important.” 3 4 state we all live in. That is the good news. Like any segment of our student population, when Latinos go to college and complete a The bad news is that, compared to Whites certificate or degree, California wins. In and Asians, Latino college students are: fact, for every dollar California invests • Less likely to enroll in a four-year in a student who completes college, university; it receives $4.80. The return is a combination of taxes on increased • Less likely to attend a selective college; earnings and a decrease in state • Less likely to enroll in college full-time; and expenditures on social services and 5 • Less likely to complete a bachelor’s degree. incarceration. The math is clear. If the California economy is to have the Going to college and completing a certificate college-educated workforce it needs, we must find ways to or degree is good for the graduate too. Latinos and others significantly improve college completion rates among Latinos. with degrees earn upwards of $1.3 million dollars more over There is no other reasonable solution given the population their lifetimes and spend four years less in poverty than their peers with only a high school diploma.6 2 Recommendations This report offers a demographic overview of the Latino population in California and an analysis of key education indicators over time. The report also includes the following five recommendations for policymakers, college leaders and families to secure California’s economic future by significantly increasing college-going and completion rates for Latinos in our state: 1. Create a statewide plan for higher education 4. Invest in services students need to succeed • Establish statewide and college-by-college • Develop a comprehensive strategy to improve the benchmarks for increasing Latino college-going delivery of pre-college level education to significantly and completion rates and decreasing the number increase the number of Latino students successfully of students and amount of time spent in pre-college moving onto college-level work. level courses. • Prioritize educational resources that support student • Prioritize resources for institutions to examine success and completion including orientation, performance problems and identify solutions to counseling, and advising that help close information improve success for all students. gaps for low-income, first-generation Latino • Monitor progress toward benchmarks and students. completion goals in a public and transparent way. 5. Strengthen financial support options for students 2. Fund colleges for both enrollment and success • Ensure that all eligible students apply and receive • Increase funding for higher education to ensure all federal and California student aid for which they eligible students have a spot in college. qualify. • Establish a new funding mechanism that creates • Expand financial aid for students attending incentives beyond just college enrollment funding community colleges through the Cal Grant program. and holds colleges and universities accountable for increasing underrepresented minority graduation and completion rates. 3. Improve K-12 & postsecondary coordination • Improve coordination between high schools and colleges with regard to early college preparation and assessment. Leverage the implementation of new Common Core Standards and Smarter Balance Assessments to ensure that California students have one common definition of college readiness and are better prepared to succeed in higher education. • Improve coordination between two-year colleges and four-year universities; particularly in the areas of assessment, transfer, and workforce preparation. Despite the clear benefits of college attendance and completion for Latinos and for the state of California, we are not on track to meet the 2.3 million additional degrees our economy will require. This should sound an urgent alarm for all of us. 3 Latinos California’s New Majority California is home to more than 14.5 million Latinos—the Figure 1: 38 percent of the largest number in the country (Figure 1). Latinos make up 38 percent of the state’s population and are projected to become California population is Latino the majority just after 2050.7 Already, one out of every two youths under the age of 18 in White Latino 39.2 38.2 California is Latino.8 While the majority of the Latino population is native-born, especially among those under 18 years of age, 37 percent of Latinos are foreign-born (Figure 2). Other 3.7 Black Asian 5.7 13.3 Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2012 American Community Survey, 1-year estimates, DP05: Demographic and Housing Estimates Note: Due to rounding, figures may not sum to 100. Figure 2: The majority of Latinos are born in the U.S. Foreign-Born Foreign-Born 36.8 5.7 Nativity of Nativity of California Latino California Latino Population Population Under 18 Years of Age Native-Born Native-Born 63.2 94.3 Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2012 American Community Survey, S0201: Selected Population Profile in the United States, Hispanic or Latino (of any race); 2012 ACS 1-year estimates, B05003I: Sex by Age by Nativity and Citizenship Status (Hispanic or Latino) 4 Educational Attainment Still a long way to go Latinos have the lowest rate of college attainment compared of those without a high school diploma.9 Only 11 percent to all other ethnic groups, which is troubling given the sheer of Latino adults have earned at least a bachelor’s degree size of the Latino population. Even though 32 percent of the compared to 39 percent of Whites (Figure 3). population older than 25 is Latino, they make up 69 percent Figure 3: Latinos lag far behind all ethnic groups in college completion Educational Attainment of California Adults 25 Years and Older, 2011 10.7 23.0 30.3 5.3 39.3 Bachelor's degree 17.9 47.9 9.3 or higher 7.7 Associate degree 9.0 22.1 24.6 32.0 7.4 Some college, no degree 25.6 15.3 21.1 HS diploma or equivalent 41.5 24.3 15.1 20.0 No HS diploma 18.9 or equivalent 11.4 14.3 6.1 California Latino White African American API Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2011 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates, PUMS Note: API = Asian/Pacific Islander Only 11 percent of Latino adults have earned at least a bachelor’s degree compared to 39 percent of Whites. 5 Educational attainment rates vary by nativity. Native-born of 19 percent).10 However, even when looking exclusively Latinos have better educational outcomes than foreign-born at the native-born Latino population, college completion is Latinos (Figure 4). For example, 57 percent of the foreign- far behind other ethnic groups. For example, Asian Pacific born Latino population in California has less than a high school Islanders (API) are three times more likely and White are two diploma compared to only 18 percent of the native-born (this times more likely than native-born Latinos to have at least a share is almost the same as the overall California average bachelor’s degree. Figure 4: Native-born Latinos have better educational outcomes than foreign-born Latinos Latino Educational Attainment by Nativity for Adults 25 Years and Older, 2011 56.8 29.2 28.0 21.8 18.0 16.2 3.2 11.4 8.5 6.8 No HS diploma HS diploma Some college, Associate Bachelor's or equivalent or equivalent no degree degree degree or higher Foreign-Born Native-Born Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2011 American Community Survey, 1-year estimates, PUMS Asian Pacific Islanders are three times more likely and White are two times more likely than native-born Latinos to have at least a bachelor’s degree.