FAST FACTS ABOUT INEQUALITY IN GRADUATE EDUCATION
DATA AVAILABLE:
Gaps in Degree Attainment Rates
Changes in Degree Attainment Rates
Degree Attainment Rates for Women
Degree Attainment Gaps by Geography
Data about representation must be handled with care. These numbers are just one technical way in which we measure the way inequities are manifested in our society, however, the injustices that have caused unequal representation are social and political. In order to understand the complexity of this reality one must not only know the statistics, numbers and systemic but also understand the stories, people, and interpersonal.
Naming and acknowledging the underlying systems that propagate the existence of untapped potential in our society is vital. For recommendations on current literature curated to foster learning, and institutionalization of inclusive practices toward equity in graduate education access the Inclusive Practices Resource Library.
We chose to focus on these numbers in particular as one of our major project goals is to aid in increasing the fraction of Black/African American, Hispanic/Latinx, and Indigenous students who enroll and complete doctoral programs.
GAPS IN DEGREE ATTAINMENT RATES
One of our goals is to reduce the degree attainment gap between bachelor’s and graduate degrees for Black/African American, Hispanic/Latinx, and Indigenous students, specifically in STEM.
Below we depict the state of STEM fields, specifically the low rates of graduate degrees awarded to racial and ethnic minorities and the drop in percentages to those groups from BS, to MS, to Ph.D.
Note in particular the y-axis in which no field awards even 20% of the bachelors degrees to students from these groups.
Note: This data is aggregated across Black, Latinx, and Indigenous students, which is not the recommended approach for organizations to consider.
Source: 2013-2017 IPEDS Completion Survey
Percents are degrees awarded to individuals whom self-identify as Black/African Americans, Latinx/Hispanics, and Native American/Alaskans out of degrees awarded to U.S. Citizens/permanent residents (excluding degrees to international students)
Selected Fields and corresponding CIP Codes: Astronomy and Astrophysics: 40.02 ; Chemistry: 40.05 Chemical Engineering: 14.07 ; Computer Science: 11.07 ; Engineering: 14.01 ; Economics: 45.06 ; Geosciences: 40.06, 14.24, 14.25, 14.39, 14.21, 40.04, 40.0203 ; Materials Sciences: 40.10, 14.18 ; Physics: 40.08
CHANGES IN DEGREE ATTAINMENT RATES
For the past ten years the Bachelor’s degree attainment rate for individuals who self-identify as Black/African American, Hispanic/Latinx, and Indigenous has been steadily increasing across all of the selected broad educational fields, however, bachelor’s degree attainment still does not match national statistics for these groups.
It is important to note that the increasingly racially and ethnically diverse undergraduate population that does exist is currently being under-served at the Doctorate level. This is especially the case in fields such as the Physical Sciences, Mathematics & Statistics and Engineering where rates of Ph.D. Degree attainment for Black/African American, Hispanic/Latinx, and Indigenous students have seen low single digit increases over the past 20 years.
Source: 1997-2018 IPEDS Completion Survey
Rates are calculate from the proportion of degrees awarded to individuals whom self-identify as Black/African Americans, Latinx/Hispanics, and Native American/Alaskans out of degrees awarded to U.S. Citizens/permanent residents (excluding degrees to international students)
Selected fields and corresponding CIP Codes: Computer & Information Sciences: 11; Education: 13; Engineering: 14; Biological & Biomedical Sciences: 26; Mathematics & Statistics: 27; Physical Sciences: 40; Social Sciences: 45; Visual & Performing Arts: 50; Health Professions: 51; Business: 52.
DEGREE ATTAINMENT RATES FOR WOMEN
Although there are some fields that are at or close to gender parity, in most of the selected fields there is inequity in degree attainment rates for women (According to the U.S. census, women make up about 50.8% of the U.S. population).
This inequity is significantly troublesome when we consider the intersectionality of race and gender. For reference Black/African American Women, Hispanic/Latinx Women and Indigenous Women make up about 6.5%, 8.5%, 0.7% of the U.S. population, respectively.
Source: 2013-2017 IPEDS Completion Survey
Percents are degrees awarded to women who are U.S. Citizens and permanent residents. Percents are calculated from degrees to U.S. Citizens and permanent residents excluding international student population.
Selected Fields and corresponding CIP Codes: Astronomy and Astrophysics: 40.02 ; Chemistry: 40.05 Chemical Engineering: 14.07 ; Computer Science: 11.07 ; Engineering: 14.01 ; Economics: 45.06 ; Geosciences: 40.06, 14.24, 14.25, 14.39, 14.21, 40.04, 40.203 ; Materials Sciences: 40.10, 14.18 ; Physics: 40.08
DEGREE ATTAINMENT GAPS BY GEOGRAPHY
The gap between the percentages of Bachelor’s vs. Doctoral degrees attained by Black/African Americans, Latinx/Hispanics, and Indigenous by State in the Physical Sciences
Source: 2013-2017 IPEDS Completion Survey
Percent gaps are calculate from the differences in proportion of Bachelor’s degree and Doctoral degrees awarded to individuals whom self-identify as Black/African Americans, Latinx/Hispanics, and Native American/Alaskans out of degrees awarded to U.S. Citizens/permanent residents (excluding degrees to international students)
Physical Sciences selected fields and corresponding CIP Codes: Chemistry: 40.05 ; Astronomy and Astrophysics: 40.02 ; Physics: 40.08 ; Geosciences: 40.06 ; Materials Sciences: 40.10, 14.18