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Private Colleges and Universities Recruit Minority, Male, and Lower-Income Students Far Less Than Others, New Research Shows
NRCCUA and Maguire Associates Release Study on the Student Search Process
New Bedford, MA - June 25, 2004 - A year after the landmark Supreme Court decision on affirmative action in higher education, a major new study shows that private colleges and universities reached out to African American, Latino, low income, and male students in the high school class of 2003 far less often than to those already represented on campuses in disproportionate numbers.
When using lists of prospective students, colleges select white high school students to receive information an average of 50 percent more often than African American or Latino students. And, although many colleges are struggling to address gender imbalances, the average high school female is chosen 24 times, while the average male is only selected 19 times. When a student is "selected," colleges and universities are choosing them to receive marketing and recruitment materials.
The study was conducted by the National Research Center for College & University Admissions (NRCCUA), the largest provider of lists of prospective students to postsecondary institutions, and Maguire Associates, a leading educational research and consulting firm. NRCCUA and Maguire examined a representative sample of 277,025 high school students in the class of 2003 to see how many times private colleges and universities chose the students for mailings and other outreach.
While most of the debate over diversity in postsecondary education has focused on the application and admissions process, this is the first study to examine the start of the enrollment process - the outreach universities do through student-search and other programs that create the initial pool of potential students for admissions.
"The study reveals a very clear and disturbing pattern," said Don Munce, President NRCCUA. "With near unanimity, the higher education community has stood up for affirmative action and believes in the value of diversity on campus. But it is now clear that the genuine commitment to diversity isn't always translating into action at this critical starting point in the process. Many qualified applicants aren't even being given a chance."
The students selected most often are those with B+ or higher high school grade point averages (GPAs), females, whites/Caucasians, Asians/Pacific Islanders, and those from families residing in regions with higher average incomes. The least selected students are African Americans, Latinos, Native Americans, males, those with B- or lower GPAs, and those from households with annual incomes of less than $50,000.
Even when controlling for high school GPAs and income, the same groups are selected more frequently. White and Asian students from families with incomes of $100,000 or more are selected more often than African American and Latino students in the same income bracket, and the same pattern holds true for students with A- or higher GPAs. And, a B student from a household with an income of $100,000 or more is nearly twice as likely to be selected, as a B student from family's income is $30,000-39,999. (Income figures are derived from a consumer database and U.S. Census Bureau data based on carrier routes using known and attributed income levels.)
"Most schools probably are not intentionally skewing the populations they reach out to, but that's what is happening," said Munce. "Colleges are not looking closely enough at who they are selecting and considering how different variables interact."
Munce explained that schools might be overlooking the strong correlation between various factors. For example, female students tend to have higher GPAs, as do wealthier students, Asians, and whites. There is also a strong correlation between income and GPA. Consequently, if recruiters only look at GPAs, they will get a disproportionate number of female and wealthier students, while ignoring other qualified prospective students.
Slight adjustments can make a big difference, Munce said. Using a cutoff of B+ or higher GPA instead of A-, for example, would double the percentage of African Americans selected.
"This study can give colleges and universities a much better understanding of how they are currently recruiting students," said Kathleen Dawley, President of Maguire Associates. "It's the first time that someone has taken a broad and in-depth look at current practices at the very start of the recruitment process. It will help institutions take a more sophisticated approach when they are deciding upon search criteria, recognizing the correlation of various factors that have a major impact on reaching more underrepresented students. What's more, broadening the mix of desirable students at the early stages of the admissions funnel will enable these institutions to model and shape the mix of their incoming classes even more effectively."
Taking a close look at how often students are selected to receive information, the study found:
- Race: Asians (26 times), whites (23), African Americans (17), Latinos (16), and Native Americans (12)
- Income: $100,000+ (37), $80,000-99,999 (32), $60,000-79,999 (28), $40,000-59,999 (22), $20,000-39,999 (17), < $20,000 (15)
- Gender : Females (24), males (19)
- High school grade point average : A (42), A- (39), B+ (32), B (24), B- (18), C+ (11), C (7), < C (4)
- Geographic region: New England (44), Mid-Atlantic (42), Midwest (23), South (16), West (15), Southwest (15)
- Type of high school: Catholic (41), private (25), Christian (25), public (20)
"Colleges and universities need to take a closer look at what they are doing and increase the pool of potential students by considering gender, income, and race, in addition to other factors," said Munce. "They are aggressively going after students with the very best academic records and the highest incomes. But they are far too often ignoring other qualified students."
"With the competition for some students so fierce, institutions should also consider whether they are transforming them into enrollees," Dawley said. "Are they over-soliciting some students, while leaving others behind? And are they leaving behind the very type of qualified students who they need to meet institutional goals of building a diverse student body?"
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NOTE: For copies of the research analysis, visit www.nrccua.org or the Resource Room on this site.
The National Research Center for College & University Admissions (NRCCUA) is a non-profit education research organization based in Lee's Summit, Mo. For over 30 years, NRCCUA has conducted the largest nationwide survey of high school students, which serves as a communications link between college-bound high school students and public and private colleges and universities.
Maguire Associates, Inc. is a research-based consulting firm serving educational institutions and associations exclusively. For 20 years, they have applied innovations in market research, analysis, and predictive modeling to help hundreds of clients understand the dynamics of past performance, apply insightful knowledge to sound decision-making in the present, and to attain critical outcomes. Engagements, whether tactical or strategic in scope, help clients advance their mission, strengthen their reputation, and enhance the vitality and health of their institutions.