A new study from Georgetown University, "Separate and Unequal," finds that although more Hispanics and African-Americans are going to college -- their access to the most selective schools isn't keeping pace.
According to Tony Carnevale, the study’s author and director of Georgetown University’s Center on Education and the Workforce, there are major perks for white students that their classmates are just not getting.
“This is not about old-fashioned vulgar racism. This is about the way the mechanics of our economy and education system are working together to produce racial inequality, across generations,” he says.
Over the course of his or her lifetime a white college graduate from one of the most selective schools can earn $2 million more, than a student who attends a less selective institution.
“In the end, the school you go to, whether it’s not selective or not, matters -- because money matters," says Carnevale.
Those most selective colleges -- the study identifies 468 of them -- spend more per student than less selective schools, from twice to nearly five times as much. That leads to higher graduation rates, which in turn can lead students more smoothly to graduate school.
