Home > Research, Data & Reports > Student Enrollment Data > Student Demographics >
Race/Ethnicity
Enrollment statistics at a glance
Students of color make up a growing proportion of postsecondary enrollments, which is consistent with trends in the general population. They comprised 22 percent of undergraduate and 38 percent of graduate enrollment in fall 2011.
Enrollment by Race/Ethnicity, Fall 2011
| Undergraduate | Graduate | Total | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| American Indian | 3,231 | 1% | 892 | 1% | 4,123 | 1% |
| Asian | 15,441 | 5% | 3,143 | 3% | 18,584 | 4% |
| Black or African American* | 29,190 | 9% | 26,845 | 29% | 56,035 | 13% |
| Hispanic/Latino | 12,437 | 4% | 3,923 | 4% | 16,360 | 4% |
| Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander | 331 | 0% | 83 | 0% | 414 | 0% |
| Two or more races | 9,818 | 3% | 1,024 | 1% | 10,842 | 3% |
| Total Students of Color | 70,448 | 22% | 35,910 | 38% | 106,358 | 26% |
| White | 247,839 | 78% | 57,883 | 62% | 305,722 | 74% |
| Total Race/Ethnicity Reported | 318,287 | 100% | 93,793 | 100% | 412,080 | 100% |
| International Students** | 9,024 | 6,771 | 15,094 | |||
| Race not reported | 15,795 | 14,126 | 29,390 | |||
*Capella and Walden Universities, two online institutions with national enrollments and predominately out-of-state students, are included. There were 85,355 students enrolled (16,228 undergraduates and 69,127 graduates). Students of color comprised 6,689 undergraduates and 30,078 graduates 80 percent were Black or African American.
**The race/ethnicity of international students is not reported.
Undergraduates of Color Enrolled in Minnesota Postsecondary Institutions, 2002 to 2011
Does not include high school students or students enrolled at Capella and Walden Universities.
Source: Minnesota Office of Higher Education
Undergraduate college enrollment
Types of institutions attended vary by race and ethnicity. The following observations can be made about Minnesota undergraduates enrolled in fall 2011:
- Black, Hispanic and American Indian students attended two-year institutions at rates higher than their White or Asian counterparts.
- Undergraduates of color enrolled part time at two-year colleges in higher percentages than White undergraduates.
- Of all enrolled Black students, 73 percent attended two-year institutions, the highest percent of all racial/ethnic groups. They also enrolled disproportionately part time compared to other students. These high percentages particularly stand out, considering Black students comprised the largest number of undergraduate students of color.
- Asian students attended two-year and four-year institutions at rates comparable to White students.
Minnesota Undergraduate Enrollment by Race/Ethnicity, Institution Type and Status, Fall 2011
Source: Minnesota Office of Higher Education
About Race/Ethnicity Data
Race/ethnic categories are used to describe groups to which individuals belong, identify with, or belong in the eyes of the community. The categories do not denote scientific definitions of anthropological origins.
Starting in fall 2009 the categories used to identify a student's race/ethnic background were changed in line with federal reporting requirements. Students who are "Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander" are now a separate race from the "Asian" category; students of Hispanic ethnicity are given priority over other races, and students may identify more than one race with which they belong.
Students are asked to first designate ethnicity as:
- Hispanic or Latino or (if this ethnicity is chosen then the student is placed in this category regardless of race chosen below)
- Not Hispanic or Latino
Second, individuals are asked to indicate all races that apply among the following (if more than one race category is indicated the student is reported in the "Two or More Races" category:
- American Indian or Alaska Native
- Asian
- Black or African American
- Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander
- White
Changing how data are collected has shifted previous trend categories. See State Postsecondary Enrollment Distributions by Race/Ethnicity Before and After Changes to Reporting Categories: Fall 2004, 2007, and 2010 from the U.S. Department of Education.
More Information:
Related Pages
Related Links
- Status and Trends in the Education of Racial and Ethnic Groups
- Minnesota Minority Education Partnership
- National Data on Undergraduate Enrollment of Minority Students (NCES site)
- The National Information Center for Higher Education Policymaking and Analysis: race/ethnicity state by state comparisons
- Minnesota Education Trends, 2000 to 2005
