Focus on Minorities: Trends in Higher Education Participation and Success

Progress toward the full participation of minorities in higher education during the past three decades is reviewed. Attention is directed to: the potential pool of qualified high school graduates who could enter postsecondary education; the participation and enrollment rates of minorities; factors related to retention and success in undergraduate programs; and the representation of minorities in advanced-degree programs and the professions. The potential supply of minority students is revealed by population trends, high school graduation rates, and the performance of minorities in elementary and secondary education. Initial college participation rates and recent enrollment trends among minorities are examined for Blacks, Hispanics, Asians, American Indians, and Whites. Data on factors that affect college enrollment are also analyzed, including ethnicity, family income, parents' education, and high school grade average. Of concern are institutional responses to the minority retention problem; academic climate; and values, aspirations, and the student culture. Information is provided on the current status of Blacks and Hispanics in various occupations and the percentage of minority graduates in specific science and engineering fields. (SW)