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Whiteness as Credential: A Critical Quantitative Analysis of Inequality in Graduate Admissions.

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Title: Whiteness as Credential: A Critical Quantitative Analysis of Inequality in Graduate Admissions.
Authors: Whitfield, Jason A.1 jawhitf@bgsu.edu, Gulick, Eleanor2, Kriegel, Zoe2, Archer, Brent E.1
Source: American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology. Mar2026, Vol. 35 Issue 2, p672-693. 22p.
Subject Terms: *Job qualifications, *Graduate education, *Socioeconomic status, *Universities & colleges, *Speech-language pathology, *School entrance requirements, *Research, *Critical theory, *Educational attainment, *Cultural pluralism, Secondary analysis, Social justice, Receiver operating characteristic curves, Statistical significance, Logistic regression analysis, White people, Quantitative research, Chi-squared test, Descriptive statistics, Racism, Odds ratio, Confidence intervals, Data analysis software, Social classes
Abstract: Purpose: We examine the extent to which graduate admission policies in communication sciences and disorders (CSD) contribute to race and class-based inequities. Using Quantitative Critical Theory (QuantCrit) as an analytic framework, we critique the methodological choices in prior research and reanalyze graduate admission data to assess how traditional admission criteria reinforce whiteness as a credential for admission to CSD programs. Method: We conducted a secondary analysis of the Communication Science and Disorders Centralized Application System Open Data Initiative data set, which included applications from four graduate admission cycles (2016-2020). Logistic regression models were used to assess the influence of undergraduate grade point average (GPA), race, socioeconomic background, and other sociodemographic factors on the likelihood of receiving at least one admission offer. We used a race- and class-conscious framework (QuantCrit) to guide the model selection and specification process. Additionally, key limitations in the data set that obscure race and class inequality were identified and critiqued. Results: The findings indicate that applicants from historically marginalized racial and ethnic groups and those from economically disadvantaged backgrounds are significantly less likely to receive an admission offer, even after accounting for undergraduate GPA. Additionally, White applicants with comparably high academic credentials received graduate admission offers at higher rates than did applicants of color. Conclusions: Comparing the results to prior reports revealed that a conventional approach to quantitative analyses can obscure structural inequities. Considering the current findings, we conclude that graduate admission policies in CSD that rely heavily on GPA may disadvantage applicants from historically marginalized racial and ethnic groups and economically disadvantaged backgrounds, reinforcing long-standing inequalities and representational imbalances in our professions. We advocate for holistic admission approaches that critically account for the racial and class-based biases embedded in traditional meritocratic measures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Copyright of American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology is the property of American Speech-Language-Hearing Association and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
Database: Education Research Complete
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  Data: Whiteness as Credential: A Critical Quantitative Analysis of Inequality in Graduate Admissions.
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Whitfield%2C+Jason+A%2E%22">Whitfield, Jason A.</searchLink><relatesTo>1</relatesTo><i> jawhitf@bgsu.edu</i><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Gulick%2C+Eleanor%22">Gulick, Eleanor</searchLink><relatesTo>2</relatesTo><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Kriegel%2C+Zoe%22">Kriegel, Zoe</searchLink><relatesTo>2</relatesTo><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Archer%2C+Brent+E%2E%22">Archer, Brent E.</searchLink><relatesTo>1</relatesTo>
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="JN" term="%22American+Journal+of+Speech-Language+Pathology%22">American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology</searchLink>. Mar2026, Vol. 35 Issue 2, p672-693. 22p.
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  Data: *<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Job+qualifications%22">Job qualifications</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Graduate+education%22">Graduate education</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Socioeconomic+status%22">Socioeconomic status</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Universities+%26+colleges%22">Universities & colleges</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Speech-language+pathology%22">Speech-language pathology</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22School+entrance+requirements%22">School entrance requirements</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Research%22">Research</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Critical+theory%22">Critical theory</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Educational+attainment%22">Educational attainment</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Cultural+pluralism%22">Cultural pluralism</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Secondary+analysis%22">Secondary analysis</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Social+justice%22">Social justice</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Receiver+operating+characteristic+curves%22">Receiver operating characteristic curves</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Statistical+significance%22">Statistical significance</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Logistic+regression+analysis%22">Logistic regression analysis</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22White+people%22">White people</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Quantitative+research%22">Quantitative research</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Chi-squared+test%22">Chi-squared test</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Descriptive+statistics%22">Descriptive statistics</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Racism%22">Racism</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Odds+ratio%22">Odds ratio</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Confidence+intervals%22">Confidence intervals</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Data+analysis+software%22">Data analysis software</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Social+classes%22">Social classes</searchLink>
– Name: Abstract
  Label: Abstract
  Group: Ab
  Data: Purpose: We examine the extent to which graduate admission policies in communication sciences and disorders (CSD) contribute to race and class-based inequities. Using Quantitative Critical Theory (QuantCrit) as an analytic framework, we critique the methodological choices in prior research and reanalyze graduate admission data to assess how traditional admission criteria reinforce whiteness as a credential for admission to CSD programs. Method: We conducted a secondary analysis of the Communication Science and Disorders Centralized Application System Open Data Initiative data set, which included applications from four graduate admission cycles (2016-2020). Logistic regression models were used to assess the influence of undergraduate grade point average (GPA), race, socioeconomic background, and other sociodemographic factors on the likelihood of receiving at least one admission offer. We used a race- and class-conscious framework (QuantCrit) to guide the model selection and specification process. Additionally, key limitations in the data set that obscure race and class inequality were identified and critiqued. Results: The findings indicate that applicants from historically marginalized racial and ethnic groups and those from economically disadvantaged backgrounds are significantly less likely to receive an admission offer, even after accounting for undergraduate GPA. Additionally, White applicants with comparably high academic credentials received graduate admission offers at higher rates than did applicants of color. Conclusions: Comparing the results to prior reports revealed that a conventional approach to quantitative analyses can obscure structural inequities. Considering the current findings, we conclude that graduate admission policies in CSD that rely heavily on GPA may disadvantage applicants from historically marginalized racial and ethnic groups and economically disadvantaged backgrounds, reinforcing long-standing inequalities and representational imbalances in our professions. We advocate for holistic admission approaches that critically account for the racial and class-based biases embedded in traditional meritocratic measures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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  Data: <i>Copyright of American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology is the property of American Speech-Language-Hearing Association and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract.</i> (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
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RecordInfo BibRecord:
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    Identifiers:
      – Type: doi
        Value: 10.1044/2025_AJSLP-25-00261
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      – Code: eng
        Text: English
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        PageCount: 22
        StartPage: 672
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      – SubjectFull: Job qualifications
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Graduate education
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Socioeconomic status
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Universities & colleges
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      – SubjectFull: Speech-language pathology
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      – SubjectFull: School entrance requirements
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      – SubjectFull: Receiver operating characteristic curves
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      – SubjectFull: Statistical significance
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      – SubjectFull: Logistic regression analysis
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      – SubjectFull: White people
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      – SubjectFull: Racism
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      – SubjectFull: Odds ratio
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      – SubjectFull: Confidence intervals
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      – SubjectFull: Data analysis software
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      – SubjectFull: Social classes
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      – TitleFull: Whiteness as Credential: A Critical Quantitative Analysis of Inequality in Graduate Admissions.
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              Text: Mar2026
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