Jan 2, 2025 Story by: Editor
Despite ongoing efforts focused on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in Texas colleges and universities, graduation rates for black students continue to lag behind those of other demographic groups, according to a new survey.
The survey, conducted in 2022 and 2023, found that black students had the lowest graduation rates, at 28% and 29% respectively. In comparison, female students and white students had graduation rates around 50%, while male and Latino students had rates close to 37%.
Asian students led in graduation rates, with their four-year graduation rate rising from 63% in 2022 to 64% in 2023, the survey reported.
These findings are part of a larger report released by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board this month. The survey was conducted to establish “baseline numbers” to assess the potential impact of Senate Bill 17, which was signed into law in 2023 and took effect this year. The law mandates the closure of DEI offices and the dismissal of DEI-related staff at Texas colleges. As part of the law, the board will evaluate higher education statistics to understand the effects of these changes on students.
The law also requires the board to conduct biennial surveys to examine how the closure of DEI offices influences students’ application, acceptance, matriculation, retention, GPA, and graduation rates, categorized by race, sex, and ethnicity.
The survey is focused on three key aspects: “students’ access to higher education, progression through their academic journey, and time to completion.”
The College Fix reached out to the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board for a statement. Mike Eddleman, the board’s media spokesperson, explained that the board does not comment on “legislative policies and their impact.”
Texas state Sen. Brandon Creighton, the author of Senate Bill 17, told KTSM that the new data shows that DEI efforts were ineffective, as graduation rates for black students continued to fall even while DEI initiatives were in place. “We saw that across the state of Texas the diversity, equity, and inclusion offices were taking us backwards,” Creighton said. He argued that funds spent on DEI should be used to develop better resources to support students.
The survey states, “Graduation rates highlight persistent gender and racial disparities across two-year and four-year institutions… African American students consistently achieve the lowest graduation rates across all timeframes.” The survey also acknowledged that factors such as “socioeconomic status, high school rank, and college readiness” may have contributed to these disparities.
Emily Witt, a media strategist with the Texas Freedom Network, expressed concern that these figures will worsen now that DEI programs have been eliminated. She told KTSM, “I believe these figures will get worse with DEI programming gone.”
Texas House Rep. John Kuempel, the chair of the Committee on Higher Education, did not respond to a request for comment from The College Fix.
The survey also examined retention rates at both community colleges and four-year universities, revealing that females and Asian students are the least likely to drop out. Conversely, African American students had the lowest retention rates in both 2022 and 2023.
In terms of grade point averages at four-year institutions, female students slightly outperformed their male peers, Asian American students had the highest academic achievements, and black students had the lowest GPAs across all groups and years, the survey found. Source: The College Fix
