income

Race and Income Gaps in Academic Qualifications and SAT/ACT Taking Shape Inequalities in College Enrollment

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This policy brief shows that inequalities in college enrollment start early in the process. Race- and income-based gaps in 10 key steps to enrollment (e.g., academic qualifications and SAT or ACT taking) lead to inequitable outcomes. This work has three key take-aways. First, gaps calculated using the V-statistic method differ from gaps calculated using the traditional binary approach, leading to a more nuanced understanding of the size of gaps. Second, gaps in academic qualifications are large and similar in size to gaps in college application, admission, and enrollment. Finally, gaps in academic qualifications and taking the SAT or ACT are the strongest predictors of gaps in the selectivity of eventual enrollment. Policymakers and practitioners interested in closing college enrollment gaps ought to identify interventions that specifically aim to address gaps early in the process.

Regional Economic Disparities Result from Rising National Income Inequality

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The economic fortunes of different regions of the United States have diverged markedly over the last 40 years. While these growing disparities are typically discussed as a regional problem, this research shows that more than half of the total divergence is attributable to rising income inequality at the national level. Growing regional disparities should be understood primarily as the spatially uneven consequences of national and global economic trends. Consequently, local attempts to promote economic development or to help economically struggling regions catch up are unlikely to substantially reduce the problem on their own. In addition to local efforts, economic policy at the national level should be designed with the explicit goal of promoting economic convergence among regions.