A report by the Center for American Progress urges top public universities to be more diverse. Minority groups such as for Black and Latino students are very underrepresented in said institutions.
The College Fix reported that an article by Elizabeth Baylor, director of postsecondary education at the Center for American Progress, suggested that, because of this, Black and Latino students attend less-selective with lower graduation rates instead. The report is entitled "Closed Doors: Black and Latino Students Are Excluded from Top Public Universities."
According to Baylor, 297,000 African American and Latino students were able to enroll in top public research universities in the U.S. It may seem like a big number but it was noted that, if these students were proportionately represented, another 193,000 students would have gotten the same opportunity.
"Instead, in a pattern that repeats itself in nearly every state, the doors to America's top public colleges remain firmly closed to the vast majority of black and Latino undergraduate students," she wrote. "As a result, in nearly every state, these students are significantly overrepresented at less-selective public four-year colleges, as well as at community colleges, compared with their white and Asian peers."
The study noted that the disparity in college enrollment is a vital factor since the type of school that a student goes to plays a major role in how likely they are to complete their education. Elite public colleges allow their students to be exposed to high levels of academic research. They also have selective admissions and produce strong outcomes.
The report seems to suggest that better admissions policies for these top public universities will allow more minority students to enroll there. This could also increase the likelihood that they will graduate which would help them succeed more in life.
It was revealed that just 21 percent of black young adults and 16 percent of Latino young adults have bachelor's degrees currently. This is a far cry from the 43 percent level of white young adults and 63 percent level of Asian young adults.
