College Opportunity Varies Greatly by State

New Report Card Grades States on Higher Education Performance

San Jose, CA, and Washington, D.C. – The chances of getting a college education in America depend to a large extent on where you live, according to a first-of-its-kind report card that grades the states on their performance in higher education. The report card, released today by the independent, nonpartisan National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education, finds that the state you live in, along with family resources and ethnicity, plays a major role in determining your college opportunities.

Many states perform well in several areas, but no state receives straight A’s in providing opportunities for education and training beyond high school, according to the report card, titled Measuring Up 2000.

“Despite the accomplishments of American higher education, its benefits are unevenly and often unfairly distributed and do not reflect the distribution of talent in America,” said North Carolina Gov. James B. Hunt Jr., chair of the National Center’s Board of Directors. “Geography, wealth, income, and ethnicity still play far too great a role in determining the educational life chances of Americans.”

For instance, according to Measuring Up 2000:

Students in many states don’t have the opportunity to take challenging high school courses that could prepare them for college. In Massachusetts, 59% of high school students take upper-level math; in Alabama, less than one-third do.

People in some states have a much higher chance of going to college. In California, 38% of 18- to 24-year-olds are enrolled in higher education, whereas in Nevada, only 20% are. In Delaware, 6.3% of 25- to 44-year-olds are enrolled part-time in college-level education, whereas in Montana, only 1.8% are enrolled.

People in some states have to pay a much higher share of their income to attend college. In New York, tuition (less student financial aid) at public four-year colleges and universities requires about 36% of family income. In Illinois, it accounts for about 24% of family income.

Students in some states have to borrow a lot more to attend college. In Massachusetts, the average for all kinds of student loans is $4,719 annually. In Minnesota, the average student loan is $3,168 annually.

Nationwide, about half (52%) of full-time freshmen at four-year colleges and universities earn a bachelor’s degree within five years. States range from a high of 68% (Vermont) to a low of 28% (Louisiana) on this measure.

Measuring Up also finds that income plays a key role in determining college opportunity. In California, for instance, 58% of 18- to 24-year olds from high-income families are enrolled in college, while only 33% from low-income families are enrolled in college.

The distribution of grades is not explainable by differences in income or ethnic representation in the states, according to the report. About 25% of the distribution of the grades is associated with factors like wealth and income. About 10% is associated with race and ethnicity.

“Our hope is that Measuring Up 2000 will be an impetus for state leaders to address some of the higher education policy challenges they face,” said Patrick Callan, president of the National Center. “Certainly there is no single blueprint that can ensure that a state will excel in higher education.”

Measuring Up 2000 is based on quantitative measures of performance rather than the opinions and judgments of authors or sponsors. States are evaluated using “A” through “F” grades in five key areas:

·        Preparation: How well are students prepared to take advantage of college?

·        Participation: Do state residents enroll in college-level programs?

·        Affordability: How affordable is higher education in each state?

·        Completion: Do those who enroll complete their academic and vocational programs?

·        Benefits: What economic and civic benefits does each state receive from the education of its residents?

Student Learning was also evaluated; because sufficient data was not available, however, all states received an “Incomplete.”

As Measuring Up 2000 was being completed, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) reported that for the first time three countries—Norway, Britain, and the Netherlands—have surpassed the United States in the proportion of young people who graduate from college.

“As the world leader in higher education in the 20^th century, the United States will have to work hard to maintain leadership in the 21^st century,” Gov. Hunt said. “Accessible, affordable and quality higher education is critical to preparing Americans for the high-skilled jobs of the new economy.”

Comprehensive, individual profiles of each state, as well as brief “states-at-a-glance” comparisons, are also featured in the report. Upon release of the report, the state-by-state breakdowns and report methodology can be found on the National Center’s web site at www.highereducation.org.

Under development for more than two and a half years, Measuring Up 2000 grades the states on education and training through the bachelor’s degree because providing opportunities for undergraduate education is a responsibility of state government. The report includes preparation for college because success in higher education must be built on a solid foundation in the primary and secondary grades.

Measuring Up 2000 will be updated in 2002 and 2004.

Established in 1998, with offices in San Jose, CA, and Washington, D.C., the National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education promotes public policies that enhance Americans’ opportunities to pursue and achieve a quality higher education. The National Center is not associated with any institution of higher education, with any political party, or with any government agency. It receives continuing, core financial support from a consortium of national foundations that includes The Pew Charitable Trusts and The Ford Foundation.

            Measuring Up 2000 was funded through grants from the Carnegie Corporation of New York, The Ford Foundation, the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, the William R. Kenan, Jr. Charitable Trust, the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, and The Pew Charitable Trusts.