Access
College enrollment has been on the rise for the past 40 years, but disparities in access remain — especially for African American, Latino, and Native students, as well as those from low-income families.
Students of color and low-income students are less likely to enroll in college, and when they do, they are more likely to attend for-profit or community colleges that have lower graduation rates. Even after 40-plus years of gains, fewer students from low-income families go to college today than higher income students did in the mid-1970s.
To close these gaps and to give all students equitable access to high-quality postsecondary opportunities, our higher education policy and practice team:
- Provides College Results Online, a free tool for students and parents, school counselors, researchers, and policymakers to search and compare colleges based on performance;
- Advocates for colleges and universities to promote equity by increasing socioeconomic and racial diversity on campus;
- Develops and promotes policy proposals to improve college access for low-income students and students of color; and
- Works with state universities and university systems to cut access gaps for low-income students and students of color.
Important Resources
A Glimpse Inside the Coffers: Endowment Spending at Wealthy Colleges and Universities
College Results Online
Tough Love: Bottom-Line Quality Standards for Colleges
Higher Education Practice Guide: Learning From High Performing and Fast-Gaining Institutions
Replenishing Opportunity in America: The 2012 Midterm Report of Public Higher Education Systems in the Access to Success Initiative
Opportunity Adrift: Our Flagship Universities Are Straying From Their Public Mission
Related Staff

Andrew Howard Nichols
Senior Director of Higher Education Research and Data Analytics
In his role as the senior director of higher education research and data analytics, Andrew helps develop a research…