The percentage of students of color enrolled in Tennessee colleges has steadily increased in the past decade, but national figures show that earning gaps persist among Black workers with college degrees compared to Whites. The inequities stem from access to and completion of college-level programs with labor-market value, researchers say. Wil Del Pilar of The Education Trust says finishing college may be the best way to boost income over a lifetime - but for students of color, there's one big reason a degree may not lead to long-term financial security, even if it does increase job prospects.
Pilar believes a college should be evaluated based on its graduates' ability to find good jobs and move up in the world - not by selectivity or the academic profile of their incoming class.
