Georgia received mixed grades from an organization for its efforts to help African-American and Latino students earn college degrees.
The Education Trust released a report Thursday that found African-American and Latino adults are less likely to hold a college degree today than white adults were in 1990.
While about 47 percent of white adults nationwide have earned some form of college degree, the percentages were lower for African-Americans and Latinos, 31 and 23 percent, respectively, the report found. In Georgia, the degree attainment percentages were nearly identical to the national averages, 32 percent for African-Americans and 21 percent for Latinos. The organization used U.S. Census Bureau data for its research.
Credit: Christopher Furlong
Credit: Christopher Furlong
Georgia earned its highest mark for the percentage of African-Americans who earned a degree since 2000, ranking seventh nationally. The Peach State got its lowest mark in that same category for Latinos, ranking 31st nationally.
The percentage of African-American and Latino students in Georgia's public colleges and universities has increased in recent years. Dalton State College recently became the first Georgia college to be a Hispanic-Serving Institution, which makes it eligible for federal grants for Latino students. Georgia has nine Historically Black Colleges and Universities.
The Education Trust, a nonprofit based in Washington, D.C., defines its mission as closing the education gap for students of color. The organization said in a statement that states need to do more to close the gap as more older whites leave the workforce and companies need skilled, well-educated workers to fill those positions.
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