Dive Brief:
- Public community colleges that serve minority students cost less to attend, but they also spend less on instruction, academic support, and student services, according to a new report from the Center for American Progress.
- Lower per-student spending by minority-serving public community colleges translates to lower graduation rates: 27% below other community colleges.
- Four-year public colleges and universities that serve minorities also cost less to attend, but their revenue-per-student and spending-per-student figures are higher than their peers, as are their graduation rates: 10% higher than other public four-year schools.
Dive Insight:
Public four-year historically black schools had even better graduation rates: 30% higher than other public four-year schools. The report makes a general economic case for increasing access to higher education, arguing that closing racial and ethnic gaps leads to higher average income, increased gross domestic product, and higher tax revenues. Public community colleges and public universities enroll about 72% of the minority students who attend higher education institutions. For low-income students, public community colleges where minority students make up 25% or more of enrollment collected $1,515 per student in tuition and fees, compared to $2,376 for other community colleges. For public universities with the same caveats, the figure was $6,205, compared to $5,109 for other four-year public schools.