Hispanic students influential in record low dropout rates
The country experienced a record low in high school dropout numbers last year, partly, by improvements among Hispanic and African American students, according to the…
U.S. high school dropout rate reaches record low, driven by improvements among Hispanics, blacks. (Shutterstock)
The country experienced a record low in high school dropout numbers last year, partly, by improvements among Hispanic and African American students, according to the Pew Research Center.
The Hispanic high school dropout rate reached dropped to 14 percent in 2013, compared with 32 percent in 2000.
Studies and different surveys have shown that education has become top priority among Latinos, which could have something to do with the decrease of the dropout rates. Another reason why Hispanics may be staying in school is the decrease in job opportunities for less-educated people that came with the Great Recession, which caused more people to see the value of a college degree.
Fewer Latino students are dropping out of high school than in recent years. (Credit: Pew Research)
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Fewer Hispanic students dropped out of high school in 2013
“The decline in the size of the Hispanic dropout population has been particularly noteworthy because its happened at the same time that the Hispanic youth population is growing, writes Richard Fry of Pew Research Centers Hispanic Trends Project.
The number of Hispanic 18- to 24-year-old dropouts peaked at 1.5 million in 2001 and fell to 889,000 by 2013, even though the size of the Hispanic youth population has grown by more than 50% since 2000. The last time the Census Bureau counted fewer than 900,000 Hispanic dropouts was in 1987. Fry said.
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The high school dropout rate for blacks was reached a record low of 8 percent in 2013, falling by nearly half since 2000, when it was 15 percent.
Despite this, Hispanic youth still lag behind their peers in attainment of bachelor degrees.
They account for only 9% of all bachelor degrees from two and four-year programs, while their white peers account for 58% of college students aged 18 to 24, and 69% of all bachelor degrees.
