With the influx of Asian immigrants to the United States in recent decades, it is no surprise that the proportion of Asians attending college or university has also grown. But what percentage of Asians in the U. S.
actually choose to pursue higher education? This article will provide a comprehensive overview of the percentage of Asians who go to college and how this compares to other racial and ethnic groups.
Percentage of Asians Going to College in the U. S.
1: Overview of College Attendance in America
When it comes to higher education in America, college and university attendance has been increasing steadily. According to recent statistics, around 68% of adults over the age of 25 in the United States, regardless of race or ethnicity, have earned a post-secondary degree of some sort. This compares favorably to other developed countries; the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) averages around 71% of students from 30 major countries having some form of post-secondary degree.
2: Percentage of Asians in College
Data from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) suggests that the percentage of Asians who have pursued a post-secondary degree is significantly higher than the general population at 83%. This is in direct comparison to the overall statistics for post-secondary attendance for all races and ethnicities in the United States, where the figure stands at 68%.
This is due in part to the fact that Asian Americans are in general more likely to pursue higher education than other racial or ethnic groups in the U. S.
3: Asian Student Enrollment Overall
According to data compiled by the NCES, Asian American students make up around 6% of total college enrollment in the United States.
This is higher than the overall percentage of full-time undergraduates in the country as a whole, which stands at around 9%. It should also be noted that Asian American students are disproportionately enrolled in post-graduate programs, making up
2% of the total post-graduate student population, compared to 7% for the general population.
4: Gender Ratios for Asian Students
When it comes to gender ratios, the NCES notes that Asian students are disproportionately male; 52% of Asian American students identify as male, compared to 5
6% of the overall student population. This disparity is due in part to the relative youth of the Asian population, as the majority of Asian Americans are under the age of 3
5: Breakdown of Asian Student Enrollment by Country
Data from the NCES provides a breakdown of student enrollment for Asian Americans by country or region of origin. Unsurprisingly, the majority of Asian American students are from the Pacific Rim countries of China and India, with 3
5% originating from China and 20. 5% from India. It is also noteworthy that students from Korean, Filipino and Vietnamese backgrounds make up the second largest group of Asian students at
6%, 9% and
2% respectively.
6: Trends in Asian Student Enrollment
Over the past decade, there has been an increase in the number of Asian Americans enrolling in college or university. Between 2000 and 2011, the population of Asian American undergraduates rose by 36%, while the population of Asian American post-graduates rose by 3
7%. This is in stark contrast to other racial and ethnic groups in the United States, where college enrollment overall has decreased in recent years.
7: Academic Achievement of Asian Students
Besides simply being more likely to attend, Asian American students tend to outperform their classmates in terms of academic achievement. According to NCES data, Asian American students have the highest GPA of any racial or ethnic group in the United States, with an average GPA of 09, compared to
02 for white students and 92 for African American students.
They also tend to score higher on standardized tests such as the SAT, with an average of 1150, compared to 1070 for white students and 990 for African American students.
8: Types of Degrees Earned by Asian Students
While Asian American students have been earning higher education degrees for decades, there have been notable shifts in the types of degrees that they pursue. In 2000, the most popular field of study for Asian American students was engineering and computer science, which accounted for 36% of total degrees earned by Asian Americans in the United States.
By 2011, the most popular field of study had shifted to business, accounting for 39% of total degrees earned.
9: Financial Aid Offered to Asian Students
Financial aid plays an important role in college accessibility for many Asian Americans. Data from the NCES suggests that 1
3% of Asian Americans receive some form of need-based financial aid, compared to 20. 3% of the overall population. This information is corroborated by data from the Department of Education, which shows that Asian Americans receive
1 times less financial aid than their white counterparts, on average.
10: Reasons for the Increase in Asian College Attendance
There are a multitude of factors that contribute to the rise in Asian college attendance rates. The most prominent is likely the influx of Asian immigrants to the United States in recent decades. Data from the US Census Bureau indicates that the Asian population in the US has grown by 4
6% since 2000, far outpacing the growth of other racial and ethnic groups in the US. This provides both more potential college attendees as well as more financial resources to support college degree attainment.
11: Asian American College Graduate Employment Rates
Once Asian American students attain a college degree, they enjoy a high rate of employment, according to data from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics. In 2014, the overall employment rate for Asian Americans was at 70. 9%, slightly higher than the overall employment rate of 6
1%. This figure is higher than the employment rate for all other racial and ethnic groups in the United States except white, who have a 7
5% employment rate.
12: Barriers to Accessing Education for Asian Americans
Despite the overall success of Asian Americans, there are some barriers to accessing higher education for certain groups. This is particularly true for Southeast Asian Americans, who commonly face language and financial difficulties when it comes to furthering their educations.
Additionally, many Asian Americans under-report their income when it comes to the FAFSA forms, which can lead to a reduction in eligibility for financial aid.
13: Closing Thoughts
In conclusion, it is clear that Asian Americans continue to be a driving force behind higher education in the United States. With an 83% college attendance rate and high levels of academic achievement, Asian Americans are on the forefront of college degree attainment. Furthermore, Asian Americans face relatively few barriers to higher education, and those that do face barriers tend to be addressed through policy initiatives and targeted interventions.
Conclusion In sum, Asian Americans have shown remarkable success in college enrollment in the United States. With rates of college attendance far outstripping those of other racial and ethnic groups and a notable presence of Asian American students in post-graduate and professional programs, there is no doubt that Asian culture and values support a high regard for furthering education.
This should be seen as a model for other racial and ethnic groups, who too should strive to achieve higher levels of education and success in all aspects.