by Allison Danish, MPH

30% of white students enrolled in kindergarten will go on to achieve an undergraduate degree. That's compared to only 17% of Black and 11% of Hispanic/Latinx kindergarten students.

Why does this matter?

Greater diversity in higher education could lead to better health outcomes for everybody.

"Over 75% of medical students found that diversity helped them to rethink their viewpoints when racial and ethnic conflicts occurred, and the same percentage felt that diversity provided them with a greater understanding of medical conditions and treatments."

But we're on a backward slide.

Affirmative action bans in 6 states have lead to a 17% decline in underrepresented BIPOC students entering medical school.

And achievement gaps remain.

By the 8th grade, the wealthiest (top 10% household income) students are 3 to 4 years ahead of the poorest (bottom 10% of household income) students.

So... what can we do? Well, change starts early.

Vote for higher quality education

• See where your state stands on education here: Education Commission of the United States: State Education Policy Tracking
• Find current legislative info for your state here: Congress.gov: State Legislature Websites
• Find contact information for your state's educational departments here: US Department of Education: State Contacts

Support organizations like these

• Black Girls Do STEM

• American Indian Science and Engineering Society

Sources:

HHS AMCH, Reflecting America's Population: Diversifying a Competent Health Care Workforce for the 21st Century (2011)

Whitla, D. K. et al. Educational benefits of diversity in medical school: a survey of students (2003)

Garces, L. M. et al. Racial Diversity in the Medical Profession: The Impact of Affirmative Action Bans on Underrepresented Student of Color Matriculation in Medical Schools (2015)

Hanushek, E. A. et al. The Unwavering SES Achievement Gap: Trends in U.S. Student Performance (2019)