Graduation Data Belie UT Dallas' Broad Diversity

According to recent data from the Education Trust, UT Dallas lags behind similar schools on Latino enrollment and especially Latino graduation rates.This information is puzzling to many of us at UTD, as we know the university to be among the most ethnically diverse in the country and very sensitive to the needs of all students. So let's dig into the data. UTD's 54.2 percent graduation rate for Latino students earning a bachelor's degree was slightly above the national average of 53.6 percent. (The comparable estimate for white students at UTD was 65.3 percent). Latinos make up about 14 percent of undergraduate enrollment. Various reasons were highlighted for the lower Latino graduate rate, including economic pressures and selectivity.In showcasing different graduation rates, the Education Trust compared UTD to the University of North Carolina Wilmington, which had a 72.2 percent graduation rate for Latino students. But that campus' Hispanic student population accounted for less than 5 percent of the total student body.  Continue reading...