Graduation Rates for Postsecondary Students: A Comparison Across Ethnic and Racial Groups

Despite recent efforts to increase accountability in institutions of postsecondary education, ethnic and racial disparities in student outcomes persist at most of the nation's colleges and universities (Bensimon, 2004). The purpose of this study is to explore whether there are disparities in graduation rates from postsecondary institutions between different racial and ethnic groups in Washington state. 

This study relied on the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) to estimate  postsecondary graduation rates. These graduation rates from postsecondary institutions are examined by comparing rates for three student groups: (1) All Student Group which includes all students, (2) Measurement Group 1, which includes ethnic and racial minoritized students (all racial and ethnic groups minus students reporting their race as white or unknown), and (3) Measurement Group 2, which includes ethnic and racial minoritized students who are more underrepresented in postsecondary institutions (Measurement Group 1 minus Asian students, U.S. nonresident students, and students reporting their race unknown). Comparing these groups can demonstrate if ethnic and racial disparities in student outcomes exist in Washington postsecondary education.

Key findings on postsecondary graduation rates:

• The highest Washington state graduation rate of 73.5% was found for the All Student Group in the private not-for-profit (PNFP) sector. The All Student Group (all 4-year college student students in Washington) in the private for-profit (PFP) sector contained the lowest Washington state graduation rate of 50.8%.
• For Washington institutions, Measurement Groups 1 and 2 had lower graduation rates than the All Student Group among public and PNFP institutions and higher graduation rates for PFP institutions.
• Measurement Group 1 average graduation rates were consistently higher than those in Measurement Group 2 in Washington and nationally with the exception of Washington state PFP institutions.