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Some College, No Degree Population
The percentage of St. Louis adults over age 25 who have attended some college, but have not graduated with a college degree and are not currently enrolled
Black adults are 41% more likely than white adults to have attended college without earning a college degree.
A score of 100 represents racial equity, meaning there are no racial disparities in outcomes between black and white populations. The lower the Equity Score, the greater the disparity.
For Some College, No Degree Population, a score of 100 — a score reflecting racial equity — would mean black residents are as likely as white residents to have attended college without graduating with a college degree. It is important to note that for this indicator, equity is not our only goal: we also want to improve outcomes for all.
More Information
What does this indicator measure?
Some College, No Degree Population measures the percentage of St. Louis adults over age 25 who have attended some college, but have not graduated with a college degree and are not currently enrolled. In 2016, there were 43,295 adults, or 19.7% of the population, that had started but had not been able to complete their college education.
Some college, no degree population analysis
Adults over 25 with some college but no college degree, not currently enrolled in St. Louis City.
| All | Black | White | Disparity Ratio | Equity Score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adults with some college | 43,295 | 22,193 | 18,454 | - | - |
| Adult population over 25 | 219,646 | 92,650 | 108,454 | - | - |
| Percent of adults with some college | 19.7% | 24.0% | 17.0% | 1.408 To 1 | 64 |
Data Source: American Community Survey 1-year PUMS, 2016.
Data Note: PUMS data may differ slightly from estimates on American FactFinder due to differences in sampling. See PUMS technical documentation for more information. The number of sample cases is too small to report reliable estimates for additional racial groups.
What does this analysis mean?
Black adults are 41% more likely than white adults to have attended college without earning a college degree. 24.0% of black adults have attended some college without earning a degree, compared to 17.0% of white adults. If educational attainment were equitable, there would be 6,443 fewer black residents who have not completed college.
Why does Some College, No Degree Population matter?
Those who attend but do not complete college are likely to have college debt without the increase in income and opportunities that come with having a degree. Students fail to complete college for a number of reasons, from difficulty in balancing family, work, and school, to having to transfer to schools that do not accept previously earned credits, to being inadequately prepared for the rigors of college, to not being able to afford tuition through graduation. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, 62% of students who return to school after age 25 do so on a part-time basis. Yet, most colleges are not designed to serve part-time, nontraditional students.
Which Calls to Action from the Ferguson Commission report are linked with this indicator?
To increase educational attainment, the Ferguson Commission report calls to action include:
Questions for further investigation
- Why is there racial disparity in educational attainment?
- What can St. Louis do to reduce racial disparities in educational attainment?
- What initiatives are currently underway to reduce racial disparities in educational attainment?
How can I learn more about this issue?
Complete College America is a nonprofit alliance of states, systems, institutional consortia and partner organizations working together to increase the number of students successfully completing college and closing attainment gaps for traditionally underrepresented populations.
