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College Graduation Rates by Race 2024
Retention in the college of students who can complete their degrees within 150 percent of the anticipated time to complete the degree is the number one indicator for college graduation rates. In 2022, there were more Asians graduating in America than any other race with some states having as many as 70 percent of their graduates of Asian descent.
Retention and Graduation Rates
A retention rate refers to the number of students who graduate within 150 percent of the anticipated time. So a four-year program completed in six years would meet that criterion.
Graduation rates for students completing four-year degrees in four years were 41 percent in 2022. For students completing these degrees in six years, the graduation rates were 60 percent. Of those graduating, most states saw an Asian graduation rate of over 60 percent and whites over 40 percent. On average, every graduating class is 25 percent African American.
Top Five States for Graduates
The top five states in the United States with the highest graduation rates are Massachusetts, Colorado, New Jersey, Maryland, and Virginia. Here are the top five states with their graduation rates by race in 2022:
- Massachusetts: Asian (61.07%), African American (26.29%), Caucasian (45.36%)
- Colorado: Asian (52.63%), African American (26.29%), Caucasian (42.62%)
- New Jersey: Asian (70.0%), African American (24.31%), Caucasian (40.51%)
- Maryland: Asian (63.72%), African American (30.06%), Caucasian (44.32%)
- Virginia: Asian (61.02%), African American (24.34%), Caucasian (41.21%)
Variables Impacting Racial Disparities in Graduation Rates
There are many variables impacting racial disparities in graduation rates, and many of those variables point to economic factors. Loan default rates are a concern among many college and university students, and there are some indicators to suggest those rates are higher among African Americans than among Caucasians or Asians. That would prevent those races from graduating within the 150 percent timeline hoped for.
Some data indicates that African Americans have a default rate of six times higher than Caucasians. That, in addition to a labor market where racial discrimination occurs, is another key factor that determines graduation rates. There are fewer African American families that can help their students pay back their loans after college. Worse, families can rarely if ever help their students enter the job market quickly and successfully. Racial discrimination is a deterrent in keeping graduation rates for African Americans in college when they are also struggling with overwhelming debt that accumulates every year they are studying.
- These percentages represent those that have achieved education of bachelors or higher
State | Overall Graduation Rate | Asian | Black | White |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | 62.6% | 85.32% | 32.27% | 91.22% |
| Massachusetts | 45.9% | 63.35% | 30.27% | 48.28% |
| Colorado | 43.7% | 53.66% | 29.49% | 47.18% |
| New Jersey | 42.3% | 71.83% | 27.12% | 44.74% |
| Maryland | 42.2% | 64.12% | 32.73% | 46.81% |
| Vermont | 41.7% | 55.1% | 39.65% | 41.54% |
| Connecticut | 41.4% | 65.85% | 25.4% | 44.87% |
| Virginia | 41% | 62.9% | 26.59% | 43.62% |
| New Hampshire | 39% | 61.1% | 26.19% | 38.93% |
| New York | 38.8% | 49.04% | 25.86% | 44.04% |
| Minnesota | 38.2% | 46.02% | 23% | 39.59% |
| Washington | 38% | 57.44% | 27.05% | 38.32% |
| Illinois | 36.7% | 66.57% | 23.87% | 39.24% |
| Rhode Island | 36.3% | 54.41% | 24.79% | 39.14% |
| Utah | 36.1% | 48.85% | 23.63% | 37.86% |
| California | 35.9% | 55.12% | 28.47% | 39.92% |
| Oregon | 35.5% | 54.58% | 32.49% | 36.16% |
| Hawaii | 34.7% | 36.19% | 32.98% | 46.02% |
| Kansas | 34.7% | 51.69% | 22.2% | 36.35% |
| Delaware | 34.5% | 65.85% | 25.26% | 36.34% |
| Maine | 34.1% | 45.7% | 32.26% | 34.15% |
| Montana | 34% | 53.04% | 27.95% | 35.05% |
| North Carolina | 33.9% | 61.24% | 23.66% | 37.06% |
| Pennsylvania | 33.8% | 57.56% | 21.04% | 35.02% |
| Georgia | 33.6% | 58.33% | 26.63% | 36.55% |
| Nebraska | 33.5% | 43.57% | 20.96% | 35.07% |
| Florida | 32.3% | 51.58% | 21.77% | 34.61% |
| Texas | 32.3% | 61.32% | 27.67% | 34.85% |
| Wisconsin | 32% | 49.78% | 15.95% | 33.2% |
| Arizona | 31.8% | 58.75% | 28.57% | 34.87% |
| North Dakota | 31.4% | 57.78% | 25.27% | 32.29% |
| Missouri | 31.2% | 62.65% | 20.25% | 32.13% |
| Michigan | 31.1% | 65.31% | 18.67% | 32.15% |
| Alaska | 30.7% | 26.47% | 23.22% | 36.9% |
| South Carolina | 30.6% | 54.47% | 18.2% | 35.1% |
| Ohio | 30.4% | 60.56% | 19.25% | 31.34% |
| South Dakota | 30.4% | 47.73% | 18.75% | 32% |
| Iowa | 30.3% | 47.32% | 18.24% | 30.69% |
| Idaho | 30.2% | 49.02% | 24.06% | 31.41% |
| Tennessee | 29.7% | 55.96% | 22.34% | 30.91% |
| New Mexico | 29.1% | 54.03% | 31.18% | 34.6% |
| Wyoming | 29% | 52.23% | 41.02% | 29.78% |
| Indiana | 28.2% | 57.08% | 19.97% | 28.82% |
| Oklahoma | 27.3% | 43.11% | 21.81% | 29.16% |
| Alabama | 27.2% | 53.69% | 19.22% | 29.96% |
| Kentucky | 26.5% | 55.04% | 19.54% | 26.75% |
| Nevada | 26.5% | 41.56% | 20.19% | 29.49% |
| Louisiana | 26.1% | 45.44% | 17.41% | 29.91% |
| Arkansas | 24.7% | 50.18% | 18.09% | 26.2% |
| Mississippi | 23.9% | 45.84% | 17.53% | 27.49% |
| West Virginia | 22.7% | 61.59% | 16.4% | 22.61% |
| United States | 34.24% | 56.34% | 24.02% | 36.52% |