Colorado: When looking at race/ethnicity, there are wide disparities in who goes to college.

The Postsecondary Progress and Success of High School Graduates is a yearly report issued by the Colorado Department of Higher Education. It explores both data trends and policy context related to the experience of Colorado’s recent high school graduates in postsecondary education by examining, postsecondary enrollment trends, leading indicators of postsecondary success and progress toward a credential. 

When looking at race/ethnicity, there are wide disparities in who goes to college.   

Asian students are most  likely to attend college, followed by white  students  and  students who identify  as being of  two or more races. 

W hite and Hispanic students  comprise the largest po r tion of Colorado’s high school graduates , 57 percent  and 30 percent respectively.  However, 61  percent  of white students  enroll in  college compared  to just  4.6 percent of Hispanic students.  Moreover , 88 percent of Hispanic students who attend college stay in state,  compared to just 71 percent of  white students. 

More than 75 percent of the total  number  of Asian , Hawaiian / P acific  I slander , individuals who  identify as two or more races , and white students enroll in four - year institutions , while  only  60 percent of Hispanic students and  68 percent of African American students  attend four - year institutions.   

The largest inequities in  whether students go to  col lege are by  socio - economic  status.  Only 43 percent of  s tudents who qualify for free and reduced lunch  (FRL)  attend college compared to 62 percent of students  who do not qualify (non - FRL).  FRL students are also more likely to enroll in - state (88 percent compared to 72  percent) and attend community  colleges ( 41 percent compared to  33 percent).