The Hispanic-White College Completion Gap: Examining the Contributing Factors

• In Event: Hispanic Higher Education: What Does the Future Hold?

Abstract

Using state administrative, we examine what factors contribute to the Hispanic-White four-year college completion gap in Texas. In particular we seek to disentangle the influence of institutional characteristics separate from individual-level influences on college completion using a decomposition analysis technique. In addition we account for the type of institution Hispanics are more likely to attend, the Hispanic Serving Institution. Preliminary results suggest that individual characteristics that include academic preparation explain a majority of the variance in the Hispanic-White college completion gap followed by postsecondary institutional quality. Attending an HSI accounts for a third of all of the postsecondary variance although a majority of this effect appears to be explained by the gless selective nature of colleges attended by Hispanic students.

Authors

• Stella M. Flores, Vanderbilt University

• Toby Park, The Florida State University

• Dominique Baker, Vanderbilt University - Peabody College