This monthly digest is written primarily for the staff of UC Cooperative Extension. It is produced by the staff of ANR's News and Information Outreach in Spanish (NOS) based on news reported by mainstream news media and reputable research institutions. Inclusion in the digest does not imply endorsement, nor does SBMS assume responsibility for the veracity of the information. We invite our readers to refer to the source to read more of each particular brief; we'll try to always include a link.

Even though the number of black and Hispanic students entering college has increased dramatically over the last 30 years, students in these groups still lag behind white students in earning college degrees, according to UC Davis researchers. Between 1972 and 1992, the percentage of blacks who entered college rose from 46 percent to 69.5 percent and the percentage of Hispanics rose from 47 to 70. However, the college completion rate for both groups fell. In 1975, 38 percent of blacks and 40 percent of Hispanics who entered college completed their bachelor’s degrees. By 2004, 33 percent of blacks and 34 percent of Hispanics graduated. Researchers haven’t yet determined the reasons, but possible causes are: