Making it to college is a huge accomplishment for many of the disadvantaged groups studied. But sharp disparities exist in degree attainment and post-degree employment by race. The types of degrees students earn can also impact their employment prospects. Science, technology, engineering, and mathematic (STEM) degrees are cited as the most marketable in today’s economy and large disparities exist in them by gender. Yet college is not the only pathway to a good job. Vocational training is another avenue. The incarcerated, who disproportionately lack high school degrees and job skills, benefit from access to vocational training, which has been found to reduce recidivism and to improve the likelihood of finding future employment.

To understand Higher Education in the context of inequality, we used four indicators:

• Race & Degree Attainment
• Race & Post-Degree Employment
• Gender & Science Degrees
• Incarceration & Vocational Training

Take a look at the chart to your right for an overall picture of this topic, and then look at each indicator and the scores in context for more detail and additional findings.