Disparities in Higher Learning

We center equity in all of our work to ensure more adults earn degrees and other credentials after high school.

Policies, practices, and beliefs—rooted in history and yet still affecting people—keep many Black, Latino, Hispanic, and Native American people from receiving the education they need. These systems unfairly hold back students who are seeking a better life, regardless of family income or where they live, whether urban, rural, or suburban.

Even amid serious skepticism, education and training after high school remain among the most secure pathways to economic prosperity.

At Lumina Foundation, we work with partners nationwide to ensure that colleges, universities, and other education providers make opportunity real for students of color, students who are the first in their families to go to college, students from low-income families, and working-age adults.

With every passing day, we realize we can—and must—do more on behalf of people who have long been prevented from realizing their true potential.

‘Worst’ ranking spurs Iowa town to unite to help students and workers of color

Waterloo, Iowa, got an urgent wake-up call in 2018. Despite being one of Iowa’s most diverse towns with a major manufacturing hub, a financial commentary site listed it as the worst city to be a Black American.

• May 9, 2024

Nine ways funders can increase diversity in higher ed in a world without affirmative action

In the aftermath of the Supreme Court’s June 29 decision to end affirmative action in college admissions, a group of foundations quickly issued a joint statement condemning the decision, saying, “The Supreme Court’s decision impedes colleges and universities from selecting their own student bodies and fully addressing systemic racial inequalities that persist.”

• July 31, 2023

Whatever We Call Them, Diversity Efforts Support Fairness And Shared Prosperity

Diversity and equity initiatives are increasingly under attack in statehouses, schools, and corporations across the country. But amid this rising rhetoric, a critical misunderstanding threatens our nation’s future—one that could erode our global leadership and economic prosperity.

April 15, 2025

‘Worst’ ranking spurs Iowa town to unite to help students and workers of color

• May 9, 2024

Nine ways funders can increase diversity in higher ed in a world without affirmative action

• July 31, 2023

With the end of race-conscious college admissions, Americans have reached common ground on what’s needed next

What will American colleges and universities look like now that the Supreme Court has upended affirmative action? The evidence is clear: As we’ve seen from states that had already banned race-conscious admissions prior to the court’s recent decision, enrollment for students of color will decline. We can avoid going backward only if institutions embrace new approaches for increasing student diversity and abolish advantages for the privileged, such as legacy preferences.

• July 31, 2023

What the Supreme Court’s Admissions Decision Says About Democracy

Not that long ago, higher education advocates regularly complained about the lack of national attention on colleges and universities. A huge win involved a sentence or two in the president’s State of the Union or a governor’s State of the State.

• July 18, 2023

Three things to remember about the Supreme Court’s decision on college admissions

The U.S. Supreme Court decision limiting the use of race in college admissions may not be a total surprise, but it is still a slap of hard truth about the long road ahead for those who respect and understand the benefits of a more diverse and just postsecondary educational system.

June 29, 2023

Righting historical wrongs is essential, regardless of what the Supreme Court might say.

For many Black and brown students, real opportunity remains elusive. That’s why we must stay committed to the broader struggle for shared prosperity.

June 20, 2023

Sounding the alarm: National leaders commit to helping Black learners

There are 600,000 fewer Black learners in college today than a decade ago, resulting in devastating lost opportunities. More than half of that decrease hit community colleges, once a popular choice for Black students pursuing better jobs and wages.

• April 19, 2023

Disparities in Higher Learning

More on Disparities in Higher Learning

Whatever We Call Them, Diversity Efforts Support Fairness And Shared Prosperity

‘Worst’ ranking spurs Iowa town to unite to help students and workers of color

Nine ways funders can increase diversity in higher ed in a world without affirmative action

With the end of race-conscious college admissions, Americans have reached common ground on what’s needed next

What the Supreme Court’s Admissions Decision Says About Democracy

Three things to remember about the Supreme Court’s decision on college admissions

Righting historical wrongs is essential, regardless of what the Supreme Court might say.

Sounding the alarm: National leaders commit to helping Black learners

Justice for Today’s Students

Disparities in Higher Learning

Navigating tough terrain

How to persuade people of the need for equity in education

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