The six-year graduation rate for white students is 25 percentage points higher than that of Black students

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Much of the conversation about closing racial equity gaps in higher education focuses on how historically underrepresented students of color face much lower odds of making it to graduation, especially when it comes to a bachelor’s degree. Indeed, the six-year graduation rate for white students is 25 percentage points higher than that of Black students.

Less recognized is that underrepresented students who do make it to graduation still experience inequities both during college and after receiving their degree. New federal data on bachelor’s degree recipients highlight disparities that Black and Latinx students face in terms of how long it takes to graduate, the debt levels they are left with, and their employment prospects.

This column examines three important aspects of students’ experiences when attempting to earn a bachelor’s degree and pursue a career, drawing on new data from the National Center for Education Statistics. As part of a longitudinal study, nearly 20,000 graduates were surveyed about their experiences within 12 months of receiving their bachelor’s degree during the 2015-2016 academic year.

The data indicate that the higher education system is shortchanging Black students most dramatically. These students experience the longest time to completion, borrow significantly more than other students, and receive the lowest pay after graduation. Latinx students also experience a longer time to completion and are more likely to borrow. However, the gaps between Latinx and white students in debt levels and pay were not as severe as the gaps between Black and white students.

While Asian students have the best results overall, the data does not include a breakdown by subgroups that would likely identify populations who are more likely to experience educational inequality, such as those of Southeast Asian descent.