How Many Kids Are Enrolled in High School Going Into College in Us

Native American Students in Higher Education

Because Native Americans (both American Indians and Alaska Natives) comprise only 1% of the U.S. undergraduate population and less than 1% of the graduate population, these students are often left out of postsecondary research and data reporting due to small sample size. What data is available indicates that only 16% of Native Americans attain a bachelor's degree or higher and only 9% attain associate degrees, making the case for a system that is more responsive to the specific needs of these students.

ENROLLMENT

• 19% of 18–24-year-old Native American students are enrolled in college compared to 41% of the overall U.S. population.
• Undergraduate enrollment among Native Americans aged 18 to 24 decreased from 128,600 in 2016–17 to 120,200 in 2018–19. Postbaccalaureate enrollment decreased from 13,700 in 2016–17 to 13,600 in 2018–19.
• Native American students are more likely to attend public versus private institutions of higher education.
  • 79% of Native American students attended public two- or four-year institutions in 2018.
• 78% of all students at Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCU) in 2016 were considered Native American, a percentage that has increased annually.
  • 89.5% of all Native American college students attended a TCU in the fall of 2018.

COMPLETION/DEGREE ATTAINMENT

• Completion rates for Native American students differ from those of students overall.
  • 41% of first-time, full-time Native American students attending four-year institutions beginning in 2012 graduated within six years, compared to 62% for all students.
• In 2019, 25% of Native Americans over the age of 25 had an associate degree or higher, compared to 42% of all those over the age of 25.
  • Between 2010 and 2019, the percentage of Native Americans aged 25 to 29 who had attained at least an associate degree increased from 21% to 25%.

CHALLENGES

• Native American students are often excluded from postsecondary data and research due to their small sample size.
• Native American students are more likely to need and receive grant aid assistance than other students, but less likely to take out student loans.
  • In 2015–16, 90% of Native American students received some type of grant aid, compared with 77% of all students.
  • 31% of Native American undergraduate students take out a federal student loan, compared to 40% of all students.
• Native American students are less likely to have access to Advanced Placement or college prep courses in high school.
• Native American students are also less likely to have family members that have attended college.
  • In 2017, 21% of Native American children under 18 years of age lived in a household with a parent who completed a bachelor's degree or higher compared to 52% of white households.

SOURCES

The Condition of Education 2020. National Center of Education Statistics, May 2020.

American Community Survey. U.S. Census Bureau, March 2020.

Digest of Education Statistics. National Center for Education Statistics.

Race and Ethnicity in Higher Education. American Council on Education, 2019.

Status and Trends in the Education of Racial and Ethnic Groups 2017. National Center for Education Statistics, July 2017.

For Native Students, a Deepening Divide. The Chronicle of Higher Education, July 2016.

Tribal Colleges and Universities. Department of Education.

Creating Visibility and Healthy Learning Environments for Native Americans in Higher Education. American Indian College Fund, 2019.

Graduation Rates & American Indian Education. Partnership with Native Americans, May 2017.

Updated November 2020

How Many Kids Are Enrolled in High School Going Into College in Us

Source: https://pnpi.org/native-american-students/