As America Becomes More Diverse:
The Impact of State Higher Education Inequality
New Mexico State Profile
Questions You Should Ask
How educated is New Mexico’s adult population and workforce?
How does New Mexico compare to the national average, the most
educated states, and the most educated countries?
What are the disparities in educational attainment, participation and
completion in higher education, and personal income by gender and
race/ethnicity?
How is the demographic composition of New Mexico expected to
change?
How will expected changes in demography – given current disparities
in education and personal income – affect the overall educational
attainment and personal income of New Mexico?
Prepared by the National Center for Higher Education Management
The Impact of State Higher Education Inequality
New Mexico State Profile
Racial/Ethnic Composition of New Mexico’s Working Age Population
(Ages 25 to 64) from 1980 to 2000
348,940 413,157 451,400 9,260 13,098 15,165 190,040 265,446 355,817 36,860 55,077 72,453 3,600 6,639 11,096 0 50,000 100,000 150,000 200,000 250,000 300,000 350,000 400,000 450,000 500,0001980
1990
2000
White African-American Hispanic/LatinoNative American/AK Native Asian/Pacific Islander
Educational Attainment of 25 to 64 Year Olds in 2000 (All Races)
17.9% 26.6% 24.2% 6.7% 14.4% 10.2% 16.1% 27.8% 22.3% 7.2% 17.1% 9.4% 22.4% 41.3% 29.9% 11.6% 23.2% 15.1% 0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40% 45%
Less than High School
High School/No College
Some C ollege Associates Bachelor's Graduate and Professional New Mexico US Average Highest State
MS WV UT ND CO MA
Sources: US Census Bureau’s Public Use Microdata Samples (Based on the 1990 and 2000 Census’)
Disparities in Educational Attainment by Gender and Race/Ethnicity
Females Males White Females Males African-American Females Males Hispanic/Latino Females MalesNative American/AK Native
LEGEND
Females Males
Asian/Pacific Islander
Educational Attainment of 25 to 64 Year Olds (Working Age)
Percent with a Bachelor’s Degree or Higher – by Gender and Race/Ethnicity
Sources: US Census Bureau’s Public Use Microdata Samples (Based on the 1980, 1990, and 2000 Census’) Note: Associate Degree Data not Available for 1980.
Percent with an Associates Degree or Higher – by Gender and Race/Ethnicity
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 1980 1990 2000 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 1990 2000
Educational Attainment of 25 to 34 Year Olds (The Young Workforce)
2
Percent with a Bachelor’s Degree or Higher – By Gender and Race/Ethnicity
Sources: US Census Bureau’s Public Use Microdata Samples (Based on the 1980, 1990, and 2000 Census’) Note: Associate Degree Data not Available for 1980.
Percent with an Associates Degree or Higher – By Gender and Race/Ethnicity
Educational Attainment by Gender and Race/Ethnicity
(25 to 34 Year Olds Continued)
Females Males White Females Males African-American Females Males Hispanic/Latino Females Males
Native American/AK Native
LEGEND
Females Males
Asian/Pacific Islander
Educational Attainment of 25 to 34 Year Olds (The Young Workforce)
Indexed to the Top Country
0.0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1.0 1.2 1.4
WM WF BM BF HM HF NAM NAF APM APF
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Indexed to the Top Country – Percent with a Bachelor’s
Degree or Higher – By Gender and Race/Ethnicity Indexed to the Top Country – Percent with an Associates Degree or Higher – By Gender and Race/Ethnicity
Sources: US Census Bureau’s Public Use Microdata Samples (Based on the 2000 Census) and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
0.0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1.0 1.2 1.4 1.6 1.8
Top Country (Norway)
Top Country (Canada)
US Index = 0.86 US Index = 0.77
Personal Income
82.8% 78.1% 82.5% 76.4% 73.4% 60% 80% 100% 120%1960
1970
1980
1990
2000
3
New Mexico
US AverageNew Mexico’s Personal Income Per Capita as a Percent of the US Average (1960 to 2000)
Higher Education Participation and Completion by Race/Ethnicity
White
LEGEND
African-American Hispanic/Latino Native American/AK Native Asian/Pacific Islander
47.2% 21.5% 38.6% 32.8% 44.4% 54.3% 27.7% 15.3% 10.4% 18.4% 12.9% 29.1% 0% 20% 40% 60% 80%
Representation (%) of Race/Ethnic Groups at Each Stage of the Education Pipeline (2002)
Difference in the Percentage of Credentials Awarded and the Percentage of 18 Year Olds by Race/Ethnicity (2002)
Graduation Rates by Race/Ethnicity (2002)
Sources: US Census Bureau (18 Year Olds), Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (HS Graduates), and the National Center for Education Statistics (College Participation and Completion)
Source: National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS Graduation Rate Survey) Sources: US Census Bureau (18 Year Olds), Western Interstate Commission for
Higher Education (HS Graduates), and the National Center for Education Statistics (College Participation and Completion)
Actual vs. Parity Three-Year Graduation Rates for Associate Students
Six-Year Graduation Rates for Bachelor’s Students
US Average US Average 36% 42% 42% 44% 41% 51% 47% 2% 2% 3% 3% 2% 2% 2% 49% 44% 40% 41% 41% 38% 36% 11% 11% 12% 9% 13% 4% 8% 1% 1% 2% 2% 2% 3% 3% 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60%
The Impact of Changing Demographics on Educational Attainment and
Personal Income (2000 to 2020)
Projected changes in educational attainment and personal income per capita are based on the US Census Bureau’s population projections by age and race/ethnicity and 2000 educational attainment and personal income data by age and race/ethnicity. The analyses are designed to help answer the following question: “Given current disparities in educational attainment and personal income by age and race/ethnicity, how will the changing demographics in my state impact the overall educational attainment and personal income of the adult population?”
451,400 473,693 15,165 18,363 355,817 550,308 72,453 109,619 11,096 16,187 0 100,000 200,000 300,000 400,000 500,000 600,000 2000 2020 2000 2020 2000 2020 2000 2020 2000 2020
Projected Change in 25 to 64 Year Olds by Race/Ethnicity (from 2000 to 2020)
White
African-American Hispanic/Latino
Native American/AK Native Asian/Pacific Islander
Changes in Educational Attainment as a Result of the Projected Changes In Race/Ethnicity
(25 to 64 Year Olds from 2000 to 2020)
18.0% 20.1% 26.7% 27.5% 23.8% 23.6% 6.7% 6.5% 14.9% 13.2% 9.9% 9.0% 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 2000 2020 2000 2020 2000 2020 2000 2020 2000 2020 2000 2020 Less than High School
High School Some College
Associates Bachelor’s
Graduate/Professional
Sources: US Census Bureau’s Population Projections (from 1995 to 2025) and Census 2000
The Impact of Changing Demographics on Educational Attainment and
Personal Income (2000 to 2020) - Continued
$ 17,281 $ 17,123 $ 21,591 $ 21,196 $ 28,869 $ 27,813 $0 $10,000 $20,000 $30,000 $40,000 2000 2020 57,148 57,801 41,574 0 10,000 20,000 30,000 40,000 50,000 60,000 70,000 1 2 3 4
Number Change in Adult from 20
10,216
7,377 7,407
5 6
s 25 to 64 by Degree Level
00 to 2020 Change in Per Capita Personal Income from 2000 to 2020 (In 2000 $)
Top State New Mexico US Average
Less than High School High School
Some College Associates Bachelor’s
Graduate/Professional
Source: US Census Bureau’s Population Projections and Census 2000 Source: US Census Bureau’s Population Projections and Census 2000
If Hispanics/Latinos, African-Americans, and Native Americans
achieved the same levels of education as Whites by 2020, New
Mexico’s personal income would increase by $4.9 Billion
(in 2000 $).
Note: Does not account for racial/ethnic disparities in personal earnings for the same levels of education.
The Impact of State Higher Education Inequality
New Mexico Summary
New Mexico is the most diverse state in the U.S – with Whites representing less that half of
the workforce population. All race/ethnic populations grew in New Mexico from 1980 to 2000. But the majority of growth occurred among Whites and Hispanics. Hispanics are expected to account for the majority of future growth – while easily becoming the majority race/ethnic population by 2020.
The workforce has fewer college degrees than the nation as a whole and substantially less
than the most educated states. A very high percentage of 25 to 64 year olds (18%) have less than a high school education and 19 percent of the younger population – ages 25 to 34 – have less than a high school diploma (among the highest percentages of all states in the U.S.). An unusually high percentage of 25 to 64 year olds (24%) have “some college” but no degree.
Females have made progress in educational attainment relative to males but sizable
disparities still exist among racial/ethnic populations. The difference between the two largest populations (White and Hispanic) is among the largest of any state. Seventeen percent of Hispanics have attained college degrees – compared to nearly 44 percent of Whites. And only 17 percent of Native Americans (the second largest minority population) have attained college degrees.
Only Asians exceed the most educated countries in the percentage of adults (ages 25 to 34)
with a bachelor’s degree and all college degrees (associate and higher) – which is an important consideration in an increasingly global economy.
New Mexico’s personal income per capita has fallen dramatically from 83 percent of the U.S.
average in 1960 to 74 percent in 2000.
The education system in New Mexico (from high school to college completion) fails to retain
Hispanics and Native Americans at nearly the rate of Whites and Asians. These racial/ethnic disparities are also evident in the graduation rates of baccalaureate students.
Unless these inequities are addressed, current disparities in educational attainment and the
population projections by race/ethnicity indicate that New Mexico will lose even more ground in the percentage of its workforce that is college-educated. The most substantial growth will occur in the “less than high school” and “high school only” populations.
A similar trend is projected for personal income. New Mexico’s personal income per capita
will decline relative to other states which will also have a negative impact on the tax base of New Mexico and its ability to provide services to its citizens – namely higher education.
