Colorado has one of the most highly educated populations in the country, with a 61% post-high school attainment rate. State officials have set a goal for themselves to get that number up to 66%.
Though the majority of students who graduate from Colorado high schools attend college — about 56% — that number looks a lot different for one group in particular: Hispanic men. Fewer than half go to college, a rate that’s lower than that of Black men and women, white men and women, and Hispanic women.
And of the Hispanic men who attend one of Colorado’s public four-year universities, just 41% make it to the finish line. Only a quarter of Hispanic Coloradans have a college credential.
We spoke with Chalkbeat Colorado reporter Jason Gonzales, who put these data points together in a reporting series that explores the impacts these disparities can have on students and their families, and how addressing these gaps is essential for the state to reach its goals.
