Aiming for Equity: A Guide to Statewide Attainment Goals for Racial Equity Advocates

Abstract

While the share of Black and Latino adults with a college degree has climbed a bit over the last decade, the increases haven’t been enough to narrow the racial degree attainment gap. The U.S. education system, from preschool through college, continues to serve students of color worse than their White peers. In such a diverse nation, this educational inequality is a threat to a healthy economy, which depends on well-trained workers, as well as to a healthy democracy, which depends on well-informed citizens. This report offers a primer on statewide college degree attainment goals and ideas for what to demand from policymakers to ensure students of color are prioritized as part of statewide higher education strategies.