Survey Finds Large Racial Differences in Student Loan Debt

gnDEFAULTA new poll conducted by the Gallup Organization shows racial differences in the level of student loan debt. According to the survey, only 22 percent of Black students who graduated from college in the 2000-to-2014 period did so without any student loan debt. Some 39 percent of White students who graduated from college in that period had no student loan debt.

Half of all Black students who earned their degree in the period had student loan debt of more than $25,000. For Whites, 34 percent of the college graduates owed more than $25,000 in loan debt.

In comparing the current data to past Gallup surveys, we find that the percentage of Black students who graduated with student loan debt has risen sharply. In the 1970s, 48 percent of Black students who earned a college degree graduated with student loan debt. During the 1980s, the percentage rose to 63 percent and in the 1990s it reached 67 percent. Since then the percentage of Black students who graduate from college with debt has grown to 78 percent.

The report, “Black College Grads More Likely to Graduate With Debt,” may be viewed here.

Related Articles

Leave a Reply

Get the JBHE Weekly Bulletin

Receive our weekly email newsletter delivered to your inbox

Latest News

Graduate Enrollment Surges at Winston-Salem State University

In fall 2024, Winston-Salem State University enrolled 244 new graduate students, an increase of 31.2 percent from the prior year. The HBCU now enrolls nearly 600 graduate students.

Two Black Women College Presidents Announce Their Retirements

Gilda Barbino, president of Olin College of Engineering, and Soraya Coley, president of Cal Poly, Pomona, have announced their plans to retire at the end of this academic year. Both Dr. Barbino and Dr. Coley are the first woman presidents of their institutions.

Norfolk State University to Construct a $118 Million STEM Facility

As part of an ongoing $90 million fundraising campaign, Norfolk State University has announced plans to establish a 131,000-square-foot STEM building to advance its research capabilities and science academic programming.

Two Black Men Selected for Academic Appointments at Universities

The faculty members with new appointments are Christopher Small at Florida State University and Dwight McBride at Washington University in St. Louis.

Featured Jobs