Disparities in U.S. schools can be seen in the most basic opportunities, like who gets disciplined, who is offered college track courses, and who has access to the supports that keep students on track. Even in 2021, Black students were 2.0 times as likely as White students to face disciplinary alternative placements, while 2023 NAEP results show White students were 2.7 times as likely as Black students to reach 8th grade reading proficiency. These contrasts raise a hard question about how outcomes are shaped long before graduation.
Key Takeaways
- In 2017–2018, the share of students with one or more out-of-school suspensions was 13% for Black students versus 6% for White students (CRDC).
- Hispanic/Latino students represent 13% of enrollment in grades K–12 but account for 22% of students who receive expulsions (2017–2018).
- For 2017–18, Black students received 2.6 times the number of in-school suspensions compared with White students (CRDC-based OCR summary).
- Black students are 16% of public elementary/middle enrollment but receive 33% of disciplinary referrals to law enforcement in schools reporting such referrals (2017–18 CRDC).
- In 2022–23, the average per-pupil expenditure for high-poverty districts was about $14,600 compared with about $10,900 for low-poverty districts (district-level expenditure summaries reported by NCES).
- In the 2021–22 school year, Black students were 15% of enrollment but 23% of students in districts lacking full-time counselors (CRDC staffing indicators).
- 2023 NCES data show White students were 2.7 times as likely as Black students to score at or above proficiency on the 8th-grade reading assessment (NAEP).
- In 2022, the graduation rate for Hispanic/Latino students was 88% compared with 84% for Black students (NCES/ED).
- In 2021, the college enrollment rate (18–24) was 38% for Black youth versus 46% for White youth (NCES).
- In 2021, Pell Grant recipients were 66% of Black undergraduates at public institutions compared with 42% for White undergraduates (IPEDS/NCES).
- In 2023, Black students received 29% of Pell Grant dollars though they were 14% of undergraduate enrollment (Department of Education/Federal Student Aid).
- In 2022, 55% of Black borrowers were in repayment plans that cap payments relative to income compared with 47% for White borrowers (FSA repayment plan enrollment distribution).
- In 2022, delinquency rates on student loans were 11.7% for Black borrowers compared with 7.2% for White borrowers (Federal Reserve Bank/FRB NY consumer credit panel analysis).
Racial disparities persist in US education, from suspensions and policing to achievement gaps and unequal college funding.
Related reading
01 · Category
Discipline Disparities7 stats
01
In 2017–2018, the share of students with one or more out-of-school suspensions was 13% for Black students versus 6% for White students (CRDC).
02
Hispanic/Latino students represent 13% of enrollment in grades K–12 but account for 22% of students who receive expulsions (2017–2018).
03
For 2017–18, Black students received 2.6 times the number of in-school suspensions compared with White students (CRDC-based OCR summary).
04
In 2017–18, Black/African American students received 2.0 times the number of disciplinary alternative placements compared with White students (CRDC).
05
In 2017–18, students identified as Black/African American were 2.9 times as likely as White students to be referred to law enforcement (CRDC).
06
In 2021–22, Black students were 19% of students with out-of-school suspension eligibility but 15% of total enrollment (CRDC 2021–22 summary).
07
In 2021–22, Black students accounted for 34% of students subject to disciplinary restraint compared with 19% for White students (CRDC 2021–22).
Interpretation
Discipline Disparities Interpretation
Across discipline disparities, Black students consistently face substantially higher removal and control measures, including 13% versus 6% out-of-school suspensions in 2017 to 2018 and, by 2021 to 2022, 34% of students subject to disciplinary restraint compared with 19% of White students.
02 · Category
School Access & Resources15 stats
01
Black students are 16% of public elementary/middle enrollment but receive 33% of disciplinary referrals to law enforcement in schools reporting such referrals (2017–18 CRDC).
02
In 2022–23, the average per-pupil expenditure for high-poverty districts was about $14,600compared with about $10,900 for low-poverty districts (district-level expenditure summaries reported by NCES).
03
In the 2021–22 school year, Black students were 15% of enrollment but 23% of students in districts lacking full-time counselors (CRDC staffing indicators).
04
In 2021–22, Hispanic/Latino students were 26% of enrollment but 33% of students in districts lacking full-time nurses (CRDC staffing indicators).
05
In 2017–18, Black students were disproportionately represented among students in schools without access to arts instruction: 25% of students in schools reporting no arts access were Black while Black students were 15% of enrollment (CRDC).
06
In 2021–22, 23% of Black students attended schools with chronic absenteeism rates above 20%, compared with 13% of White students (NCES/chronic absenteeism reporting by race).
07
In 2021, 13% of schools with high proportions of Black students offered algebra I to 8th grade, versus 23% of schools with high proportions of White students (U.S. DOE/NCES course access).
08
In 2020–21, Black students were 17% of enrollment but 26% of enrollment in districts with teacher under-qualification in math (CRDC/ED data summary).
09
In 2021–22, 31% of Black students were in districts identified as “high-poverty,” compared with 8% of White students (NCES poverty concentration indicators).
10
In 2020, 28% of Black students attended schools in the bottom quartile of spending per pupil, compared with 12% of White students (RAND/education finance equity analysis).
11
In 2019–20, 20% of Black students attended schools with teacher vacancies exceeding 5%, compared with 12% for White students (NCES/ESS data).
12
In 2021, 14% of Black students lacked broadband at home compared with 8% of White students (Pew Research Center digital access survey).
13
In 2021, 22% of Black students reported difficulty using online learning due to internet or device issues compared with 13% of White students (Pew Research Center).
14
In 2022, 41% of Black students were eligible for free or reduced-price lunch compared with 21% of White students (NCES).
15
In 2022, Black students accounted for 26% of students identified as having a disability but were 15% of total enrollment (IDEA/NCES).
Interpretation
School Access & Resources Interpretation
Across school access and resources, Black students are consistently overrepresented in the highest-need environments, such as being 33% of students receiving disciplinary referrals to law enforcement despite being 16% of enrollment, and 23% attending schools with chronic absenteeism above 20% compared with 13% of White students.
03 · Category
Academic Achievement1 stats
01
2023 NCES data show White students were 2.7 times as likely as Black students to score at or above proficiency on the 8th-grade reading assessment (NAEP).
Interpretation
Academic Achievement Interpretation
In the academic achievement category, 2023 NCES data show that White students were 2.7 times as likely as Black students to reach or exceed reading proficiency on the 8th grade NAEP, underscoring a major disparity in outcomes.
More related reading
04 · Category
Enrollment & Graduation9 stats
01
In 2022, the graduation rate for Hispanic/Latino students was 88% compared with 84% for Black students (NCES/ED).
02
In 2021, the college enrollment rate (18–24) was 38% for Black youth versus 46% for White youth (NCES).
03
In 2021, Pell Grant recipients were 66% of Black undergraduates at public institutions compared with 42% for White undergraduates (IPEDS/NCES).
04
In 2020, 40% of Black high school students planned to attend a four-year college versus 55% of White students (Pew Research Center survey on education plans).
05
In 2019, the share of Black students who were enrolled in graduate school (ages 22–24) was 7% versus 13% for White students (NCES).
06
In 2022–23, HBCUs enrolled 40% of Black college students (IPEDS/NCES).
07
In 2021, 18% of Black college students worked 30+ hours/week, compared with 11% of White students (NCES).
08
In 2020, 30% of Black undergraduate students were enrolled part-time versus 23% of White students (NCES).
09
In 2022, 21% of Black K–12 students were English learners compared with 5% of White students (NCES).
Interpretation
Enrollment & Graduation Interpretation
Across enrollment and graduation, Black students show consistently lower rates than White students, including a 2021 college enrollment gap of 38% versus 46% and part time enrollment of 30% versus 23% in 2020, while even graduation shows disparities such as 84% for Black students compared with 88% for Hispanic or Latino students in 2022.
05 · Category
Financing & Loan Burdens8 stats
01
In 2023, Black students received 29% of Pell Grant dollars though they were 14% of undergraduate enrollment (Department of Education/Federal Student Aid).
02
In 2022, 55% of Black borrowers were in repayment plans that cap payments relative to income compared with 47% for White borrowers (FSA repayment plan enrollment distribution).
03
In 2022, delinquency rates on student loans were 11.7% for Black borrowers compared with 7.2% for White borrowers (Federal Reserve Bank/FRB NY consumer credit panel analysis).
04
In 2022, the average Pell Grant award was $6,895for undergraduates, and Black students were overrepresented among recipients (FSA).
05
In 2023, 41% of Black households with children reported they could not afford a college-related expense, compared with 25% of White households (Pew Research Center).
06
In 2021, 38% of Black adults reported being “very concerned” about student debt compared with 29% of White adults (Pew Research Center).
07
In 2022, Black borrowers represented 14% of all student loan borrowers but 20% of borrowers in repayment plan hardship/forbearance (Federal Student Aid data).
08
In 2019, Black students had a 1.7x higher chance of being in student loan repayment delinquency versus White students (peer-reviewed study).
Interpretation
Financing & Loan Burdens Interpretation
Financing and loan burdens show up starkly in the gaps between exposure to aid and the stress of repayment, since Black students received 29% of Pell dollars on only 14% of undergraduate enrollment in 2023 and Black borrowers also faced higher loan delinquency in 2022 at 11.7% versus 7.2% for White borrowers.
Reference
Cite This Report
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APA
Marie Larsen. (2026, February 13). Racial Disparities In Education Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/racial-disparities-in-education-statistics
MLA
Marie Larsen. "Racial Disparities In Education Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/racial-disparities-in-education-statistics.
Chicago
Marie Larsen. 2026. "Racial Disparities In Education Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/racial-disparities-in-education-statistics.
Sources & references
40 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level
+31 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)