According to a recent study by Stanford University’s Center for Education Policy Analysis, Black and Latino students are underrepresented at highly selective colleges.

The study analyzed race, income, and enrollment patterns at America’s top Universities from 1982-2004.

Even after accounting for income disparities, white students were five times as likely as black students to enroll at a top-tier university, and two-three times as likely to gain admission.

White students were three times as likely as Hispanic students to enroll in these colleges as well.

From the Huffington Post:

“According to the study, the racial disparities in enrollment at highly selective colleges increased from 1982-2004, and even though there is a lack of more recent, comparable data, it is reasonable to infer that these patterns have not drastically improved in the past eight years.

Additionally, low-income students — independent of race — were found to be dramatically underrepresented in highly selective institutions. Almost 58 percent of the students enrolled in these universities come from families in the top quartile of the income distribution, while only 6 percent come from families in the bottom quartile of the income distribution.”

Read more at HuffingtonPost.com

Are you surprised by the results of this study?

How do we combat this troubling disparity?

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