At a time when business is working to tap America's talent, educational attainment for minorities appears to be slipping. The tradition of young adults in the United States attaining higher levels of education than previous generations appears to have stalled, and for far too many people of color, the percentage of young adults with some type of postsecondary degree compared with older adults has actually fallen, a new report by the American Council on Education (ACE) concludes.

According to the Minorities in Higher Education 2008 Twenty-third Status Report, the percentage of young adults aged 25 to 29 and older adults aged 30 and above with at least an associate degree in 2006 was about the same, approximately 35 percent. For Hispanics and American Indians, young adults have even less education than previous generations.

In 2006, among older Hispanics, 18 percent had at least an associate degree, but just 16 percent of young Hispanics had reached that same educational threshold. Among American Indians, 21 percent of older adults had at least an associate degree compared with 18 percent of young adults.

The postsecondary educational attainment rates of African Americans remained relatively the same for both age groups, at approximately 24 percent. Asian Americans and whites were the only two groups where young adults were more educated than prior generations. Sixty-six percent of young Asian Americans had at least an associate degree compared with 54 percent of older Asian Americans. The percentages for whites were 41 percent for young adults and 37 percent for older adults. 

These figures follow historic gains. College enrollment among African Americans rose by 46 percent between 1995 and 2005 to nearly 2 million students. The increase in Hispanic enrollment led all racial/ethnic groups, up by 66 percent to more than 1.7 million students. Hispanic enrollment grew faster at four-year institutions than at two-year institutions. 

In 2006, 61 percent of Asian Americans aged 18 to 24 were enrolled in college compared with 44 percent of whites, 32 percent of African Americans, and 25 percent of Hispanics and American Indians respectively.

"It appears we are at a tipping point in our nation's history," said ACE President Molly Corbett Broad. "One of the core tenets of the American dream is the hope that younger generations, who've had greater opportunities for educational advancement than their parents and grandparents, will be better off than the generations before them, yet this report shows that aspiration is at serious risk."

The findings are particularly concerning for STEM efforts to recruit the best young minds. If the decline is related to finances, as recent headlines suggest, online learning may become an increasingly viable alternative.

ACE is the major coordinating body for all the nation's higher education institutions. The Minorities in Higher Education 2008 Twenty-third Status Report, was made possible with support from the GE Foundation.   

Source: ACE press release, Generational Gains in Postsecondary Education Appear To Have Stalled, New ACE Report Finds