Facts & Figures: Underrepresented Students Abroad

Compiled by David Comp

The following data tables were prepared in February of 2006 to provide basic demographic data on the U.S. population, U.S. higher education enrollment, and U.S. student participation in education abroad for comparative purposes.

Comparative Data by Percentage of Students

Race/Ethnicity	U.S. Population 2000	U.S. Higher Ed. Enrollment 2002*	U.S. Students Abroad 2003-2004	U.S. Students Abroad 2002-2003	Gilman Scholarship Applicants 2003-2004
Caucasian	75.1%	67.1%	83.7%	83.2%	48.7%
Black/African American	12.3%	11.9%	3.4%	3.4%	9.8%
Hispanic/Latino American	12.5% **	10.0%	5.0%	5.1%	10.7%
Asian American	3.7% ***	6.5% ***	6.1%	6.0%	10.5%
Native American	0.9%	1.0%****	0.5%	0.5%	1.0%
Multiracial	2.4%	Not Available	1.3%	1.8%	4.2%
No Response	X	X	X	X	15.1%

* Excludes nonresident alien data
** U.S. Census data provides separate data on Hispanic/Latino populations
*** Includes Hawaiian/Pacific Islander populations
**** Includes American Indian/Alaska Native populations

Comparative Data by Number of Students

Race/Ethnicity	U.S. Population 2000	U.S. Higher Ed. Enrollment 2002*	U.S. Students Abroad 2003-2004	U.S. Students Abroad 2002-2003
Caucasian	211,460,626	11,140,240	160,136	145,291
Black/African American	34,658,818	1,978,746	6,505	5,938
Hispanic/Latino American	35,305,818 **	1,661,726	9,566	8,906
Asian American	10,242,998***	1,074,162***	11,670	10,478
Native American	2,475,956	165,914 ****	957	873
Multiracial	6,826,228	Not Available	2,487	3,143

Sources

U.S. Census 2000 (40kb )
Open Doors 2005
National Center for Educational Statistics - Digest of Education Statistics, 2004
Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship General Statistics, 2003-2004