In the last two decades, the number of Black adults with a college degree has more than doubled, from 3 million to 6.7 million, marking an increase in the percentage of the Black population (age 25 and older) with a postsecondary degree from 15% in 2000 to 23% in 2019. The affiliated benefits of personal and skill development, increased job opportunities, wage growth, and economic and social mobility make clear that postsecondary degree attainment is vital for economic stability. However, during this same time of rising degree attainment, Black median income was largely stagnate: from $43,581 in 2000 to $44,000 in 2019. Meaning, the rise in Black degree attainment is not concomitant with an increase in Black earnings.
Three lessons for boosting postsecondary education and wages in Black-majority cities (Andre M. Perry, Anthony Barr, and Carl Romer, Brookings)
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