ERIC Number: ED611627
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 2020-Dec
Pages: 22
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Equity and Access in the UW System: A Review of Student Applications. WCER Working Paper No. 2020-10
Corral, Daniel; Lor, Na; Hirschl, Noah; Grodsky, Eric
Wisconsin Center for Education Research
The mission of the University of Wisconsin System is to provide Wisconsin's high school graduates with opportunities to cultivate "intellectual, cultural, and humane sensitivities, scientific, professional and technological expertise, and a sense of purpose." Further, as part of its 2020 strategic plan to meet state workforce needs, the System seeks to increase the number of Wisconsinites who both start college and persist to earn their degree. To reach these goals, high school graduates must first apply for admission to the UW System's two- or four-year institutions. This report analyzes application patterns among Wisconsin high school students who earned their high school diploma in 2016. We find that, among students with similar high school grades and ACT scores, Black students are more likely to apply to a UW System school (and to UW-Madison in particular) than otherwise similar non-Hispanic White students. Economically disadvantaged students and students from rural school districts, on the other hand, are less likely to apply to a UW System school or to UW-Madison, though differences are relatively modest in magnitude. If Wisconsin wants to increase equity in who applies to our public colleges and universities, we suggest targeting outreach to academically successful students eligible for free or reduced-priced lunch, and those attending rural high schools.
Descriptors: Equal Education, Access to Education, College Applicants, High School Graduates, Racial Differences, Public Colleges, Two Year Colleges, Social Differences, Rural Urban Differences
Wisconsin Center for Education Research. School of Education, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1025 West Johnson Street Suite 785, Madison, WI 53706. Tel: 608-263-4200; Fax: 608-263-6448; e-mail: uw-wcer@education.wisc.edu; Web site: https://www.wcer.wisc.edu/
Publication Type: Reports - Evaluative
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education; High Schools; Secondary Education; Two Year Colleges
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: Institute of Education Sciences (ED)
Authoring Institution: University of Wisconsin-Madison, Wisconsin Center for Education Research (WCER)
Identifiers - Location: Wisconsin
IES Funded: Yes
Grant or Contract Numbers: R305B150003; R372A150031