Some College, No Degree Population

Some College, No Degree Population measures the percentage of St. Louis region residents who have attended some college, but have not graduated with a college degree and are not currently enrolled. There are 267,250 adults, or 20.1% of the population, that have started but have not been able to complete their college education.

Some College, No Degree Indicator Scores

City of
St. Louis

65

St. Louis
County

51

St. Charles
County

100

St. Clair
County

79

Data Source: American Community Survey 1-year PUMS, 2016

Data Note: PUMS data may differ slightly from estimates on American FactFinder due to differences in sampling. See PUMS technical documentation for more information. The number of sample cases is too small to report reliable estimates for additional racial groups.

What does this score mean?

A score of 100 represents racial equity, meaning there are no racial disparities in the outcomes between black and white populations. The lower the Equity Score, the greater the disparity.

For Some College, No Degree Population, a score of 100 – a score reflecting racial equity – would mean black residents are as likely as white residents to have attended college without graduating with a college degree. It is important to note that for this indicator, equity is not our only goal; we also want to improve outcomes for all.

WHAT DOES THIS ANALYSIS MEAN?

Across the region, black adults are 43% more likely than white adults to have attended college without earning a degree. Black adults in St. Louis County are 75% more likely to have attended college without earning a college degree (31%) than white adults (17.7%). Black adults in the City are 41% more likely to have attended some college without earning a degree (24.7%), compared to white adults (17.4%). In St. Clair County, black adults are 12% more likely to have gone to college without earning a degree (24.2% relative to 21.6% of white adults), and in St. Charles County, black adults are less likely than white adults to have some college but no degree.

If educational attainment were equitable, the number of fewer black residents who started but have not completed college would decrease by:

6,443 in the City of St. Louis,
1,195 in St. Clair County, and
18,157 in St. Louis County

Why Does Some College, No Degree Population Matter?

Increased educational attainment leads to more job opportunities, greater income, and increased professional ability. However, those who attend but do not complete college are likely to have college debt without the increase in income and opportunities that come with having a degree. Students fail to complete college for a number of reasons, from difficulty in balancing family, work, and school, to having to transfer to schools that do not accept previously earned credits, to being inadequately prepared for the rigors of college, to not being able to afford tuition through graduation. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, 62% of students who return to school after age 25 do so on a part-time basis. Yet, most colleges are not designed to serve part-time, nontraditional students.

WHICH CALLS TO ACTION FROM THE FERGUSON COMMISSION’s REPORT ARE LINKED WITH THIS INDICATOR?

To increase educational attainment, the Ferguson Commission’s calls to action include:

Questions for Further Investigation:

Why is there a racial disparity in Some College, No Degree Population?
What can St. Louis do to reduce racial disparities in Some College, No Degree Population?
What initiatives are currently underway to reduce racial disparities in Some College, No Degree Population?

How can I learn more about this issue?

Complete College America is a nonprofit alliance of states, systems, institutional consortia and partner organizations working together to increase the number of students successfully completing college and closing attainment gaps for traditionally underrepresented populations.

Some College, No Degree Population Data

Adults over 25 with some college but no college degree, not currently enrolled

	All	Black	White	Disparity Ratio	Equity Score
Adults with Some College	43,295	22,193	18,454
Adult Population	219,646	92,650	108,454
Percent of Adults with Some College	19.70%	24.00%	17.00%	1.412 to 1	65

Data Source: American Community Survey 1-year PUMS, 2016

Adults over 25 with some college but no college degree, not currently enrolled

	All	Black	White	Disparity Ratio	Equity Score
Adults with Some College	131,485	42,504	83,088
Adult Population	658,146	137,555	468,164
Percent of Adults with Some College	20.00%	30.90%	17.70%	1.746 to 1	51

Data Source: American Community Survey 1-year PUMS, 2016

Adults over 25 with some college but no college degree, not currently enrolled

	All	Black	White	Disparity Ratio	Equity Score
Adults with Some College	54,886	1,453	50,160
Adult Population	255,032	10,568	228,967
Percent of Adults with Some College	21.50%	13.70%	21.90%	0.626 to 1	100

Data Source: American Community Survey 1-year PUMS, 2016

Adults over 25 with some college but no college degree, not currently enrolled

	All	Black	White	Disparity Ratio	Equity Score
Adults with Some College	37,584	11,286	24,222
Adult Population	169,218	46,719	112,317
Percent of Adults with Some College	22.20%	24.20%	21.60%	1.120 to 1	79

Data Source: American Community Survey 1-year PUMS, 2016

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