The White House announced Tuesday the creation of a commission to focus on boosting Hispanic academic achievement just as a report showed that college graduation rates among young Americans, especially Latinos, were stagnating.
According to the American Council on Education, a Washington lobbying group, today's 25- to 34-year-olds are no better educated than their baby-boomer predecessors. About 37.5% of them held at least a two-year college degree in 2008, almost identical to the 37% of 45- to 64-year olds—roughly the baby-boom generation. People ages 35 to 44 have the highest attainment rate, at 39%.
The lack of progress could be traced mainly to males and minorities, the report says, particularly Hispanics, who continued to lag behind previous generations in college attainment. Meanwhile, young women of all races are making generational progress.
Previous studies have produced similar findings, and the latest report comes as the U.S., after leading the world in previous years, has fallen to 12th place for college completion rates among people ages 25 to 34. The White House has said it wants to return the U.S. to the No. 1 spot by 2020, arguing that it is essential to spurring job growth and enabling the country to continue to compete in the global economy. READ MORE
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