Four-Year Degree by Race

Definition

Ratio of the percent of the white, non-Hispanic population to populations of color (Black or African-American; American Indian and Native Alaskan; Asian; Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islander; Hispanic or Latino; some other race; two or more races) 25 years old and over with at least a 4-year degree, 2011.

Calculated by dividing the higher value by the lower value, i.e., the percent of the white population with at least a 4-year degree divided the percent of populations of color with at least a 4-year degree, except in New Hampshire, Vermont, and West Virginia where people of color have higher rates of college attainment.

A ratio of 1 indicates perfect equality; the higher the ratio, the greater the inequality. For example, the college attainment rate of white people in New Mexico is three times higher than for people of color.

 

Description

Those with a college degree earn significantly more and accumulate more wealth over time than those with just a high school diploma, but the college attainment gap is increasingly becoming defined by race. This measure describes the disparity in college attainment between the white, non-Hispanic population and populations of color. In almost all states, people of color have lower rates of college attainment. For example, in the District of Columbia, white non-Hispanics are more than three times more likely than people of color to have at least 4-year degrees (90% and 29%, respectively).

For more information, please visit the Achievement Gap Initiative at Harvard University.

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Four-Year Degree by Race

State	Percent with At Least 4-Year Degree, White (%)	Percent with At Least 4-Year Degree, People of Color (%)	Ratio	Rank
United States	31.9%	20.0%	1.59
Alabama	25.1%	15.2%	1.65	29
Alaska	31.3%	15.2%	2.06	45
Arizona	32.7%	14.2%	2.31	48
Arkansas	21.7%	14.5%	1.50	21
California	39.4%	20.2%	1.95	43
Colorado	42.4%	18.0%	2.36	49
Connecticut	40.2%	21.6%	1.86	39
Delaware	31.6%	21.7%	1.46	19
District of Columbia	90.5%	29.0%	3.12	51
Florida	29.0%	20.1%	1.45	16
Georgia	31.1%	21.4%	1.45	17
Hawaii	39.1%	25.0%	1.56	24
Idaho	26.8%	13.8%	1.94	42
Illinois	34.9%	20.8%	1.67	30
Indiana	23.8%	17.6%	1.35	9
Iowa	26.2%	18.8%	1.40	13
Kansas	32.2%	18.8%	1.71	31
Kentucky	21.2%	19.1%	1.11	2
Louisiana	24.9%	14.2%	1.76	35
Maine	28.6%	24.1%	1.19	5
Maryland	41.2%	29.7%	1.39	12
Massachusetts	41.5%	26.6%	1.56	23
Michigan	26.6%	21.2%	1.25	7
Minnesota	33.6%	22.8%	1.48	20
Mississippi	23.1%	14.3%	1.61	27
Missouri	27.0%	20.7%	1.30	8
Montana	29.4%	15.9%	1.85	38
Nebraska	29.7%	15.8%	1.88	40
Nevada	26.7%	14.7%	1.82	36
New Hampshire	33.0%	38.3%	1.16	4
New Jersey	38.7%	27.0%	1.44	15
New Mexico	38.8%	13.0%	2.99	50
New York	38.5%	22.0%	1.75	33
North Carolina	30.7%	17.5%	1.76	34
North Dakota	27.0%	17.1%	1.58	25
Ohio	25.4%	20.3%	1.25	6
Oklahoma	25.9%	17.0%	1.52	22
Oregon	30.9%	19.4%	1.59	26
Pennsylvania	28.3%	19.5%	1.45	18
Rhode Island	34.0%	16.4%	2.07	46
South Carolina	28.5%	14.3%	2.00	44
South Dakota	27.7%	15.2%	1.82	37
Tennessee	24.8%	18.4%	1.35	10
Texas	34.8%	16.8%	2.07	47
Utah	32.1%	17.0%	1.89	41
Vermont	35.4%	36.2%	1.02	1
Virginia	38.3%	27.9%	1.37	11
Washington	33.7%	23.5%	1.43	14
West Virginia	18.4%	20.5%	1.12	3
Wisconsin	27.7%	17.1%	1.62	28
Wyoming	25.8%	14.9%	1.74	32

Source

2011 American Community Survey. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Commerce, Census Bureau, 2012.