The graphic below comes from the website of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. At the risk of offending both the Gates Foundation and those who can’t stand its work on education, I thought I’d post it since it displays well the great diversity of the higher education student body in the U.S., even if it is hardly a portrait of “America.” According to the website,
America’s postsecondary student population is more diverse than ever. Many students attend school while working part- or even full-time. Some are raising children while in school. And, in many cases, they’re financially independent. There’s no one-size-fits-all path to (or through) college – and we need to plan our education policies accordingly.
What would America look like as 100 college students?
Type of School: National Center for Education Statistics, Digest of Education Statistics. Table 303.70.
Race: National Center for Education Statistics, Digest of Education Statistics. Table 306.10.
Enrollment: National Center for Education Statistics, Digest of Education Statistics. Table 303.70.
Employment: U.S. Department of Education, Demographic and Enrollment Characteristics of Undergraduate Students. Table 8.
Financial Aid: National Center for Education Statistics. Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System.
Housing: American College Health Association. National College Health Assessment.
Children: U.S. Department of Education, Demographic and Enrollment Characteristics of Undergraduate Students. Table 1.
Learning Environment: National Center for Education Statistics, Digest of Education Statistics. Table 311.15.
