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DECEMBER 1, 2000

Race is one of several factors being used to explain the results of a new report which grades higher education in every state in the country.

"Geography, wealth, income, and ethnicity still play far too great a role in determining the educational life chances of Americans," said North Carolina Governor James B. Hunt Jr. Hunt is chairman of the board of directors for The National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education.

Said to be the first study of its kind, the center on Thursday released a report grading each state in five different areas. With the exception of Alaska, none of the states with high percentages of American Indians and Alaska Natives attending institutions of higher learning received top marks for their performance. Most of these states received average or passing marks.

Alaska was given an 'A' in Preparation, or how well students are prepared to take advantage of college. The high number of young adults with a high school diploma or equivalent, high test scores of 8th graders, and high college entrance exam scores contributed to the rating.

The state didn't do so well in Completion, or how many students actually finish college, however. With 11 percent of the college population being Native, the state received an 'F' in this area.

Like Alaska, a large number of young adults in New Mexico complete high school or equivalent but poor test scores of 8th graders helped lower the state's grade in Preparation to a 'D'. The state almost failed Completion, receiving a 'D-' in that category. About 7 percent of college students in the state are Native American.

But for many states, data on American Indian and Alaska Native students was not available. Neither Arizona (Native student population: 4 percent) nor Oklahoma (8 percent) reported the number of Native American students completing their degrees. Both states received a grade of 'C-' in this area.

The two states both received a 'D+' for student preparedness. Low college entrance exam scores were partially to blame in Arizona. In Oklahoma, low enrollment in upper-level math and science courses led to the state's grade.

Get Summary Data for your State: Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware Florida Georgia Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia Washington West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming

Get the Report:
Measuring Up 2000 (The National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education November 2000)

Relevant Links:
The National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education - www.highereducation.org

Related Stories:
Report: College tuition up (Indian U. 10/17)
Native population on the rise (The Talking Circle 8/31)
Census data by state (The Talking Circle 8/31)
College Board releases report (Indian U. 08/30)
Selected SAT® scores by state (Indian U. 08/30)