Defining Mixed-Race College Students: Multiracial (Re)Categorization and the Visibility of Graduation Gaps
Saved in:
| Title: | Defining Mixed-Race College Students: Multiracial (Re)Categorization and the Visibility of Graduation Gaps |
|---|---|
| Language: | English |
| Authors: | Jacob P. Wong-Campbell (ORCID |
| Source: | Journal of Diversity in Higher Education. 2025 18(1):S203-S212. |
| Availability: | American Psychological Association. Journals Department, 750 First Street NE, Washington, DC 20002. Tel: 800-374-2721; Tel: 202-336-5510; Fax: 202-336-5502; e-mail: order@apa.org; Web site: http://www.apa.org |
| Peer Reviewed: | Y |
| Page Count: | 10 |
| Publication Date: | 2025 |
| Document Type: | Journal Articles Reports - Research |
| Education Level: | Higher Education Postsecondary Education |
| Descriptors: | Predominantly White Institutions, Higher Education, Multiracial Persons, Graduation Rate, Undergraduate Students, Racial Identification, Labeling (of Persons), Self Concept, Race, Ethnicity, Statistical Analysis |
| DOI: | 10.1037/dhe0000556 |
| ISSN: | 1938-8926 1938-8934 |
| Abstract: | National trends suggest a growing graduation gap between multiracial undergraduates and undergraduates overall. Grounded in critical multiracial theory (MultiCrit) and quantitative critical race theory (QuantCrit), this quantitative study utilized a sample of student records (N = 10,921) from a public, predominantly White university spanning 2010-2020 to examine whether self-reported or institutionally ascribed race/ethnicity categories reveal gaps in graduation odds between multiracially categorized undergraduates and their peers using binary logistic regression. Self-labeled multiracial students had higher odds of recategorization per Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) standards than a majority of comparison groups. Further, different statistically significant graduation gaps involving multiracially categorized students were found using self-reported race/ethnicity categories compared to their assigned IPEDS reporting categories. All but one statistically significant finding showed the multiracial reference group as more likely to graduate than the comparison group. Implications are outlined to reduce erasure of statistically significant graduation gaps related to multiracially categorized undergraduates resulting from IPEDS (re)categorization. |
| Abstractor: | As Provided |
| Entry Date: | 2026 |
| Accession Number: | EJ1506385 |
| Database: | ERIC |
| Abstract: | National trends suggest a growing graduation gap between multiracial undergraduates and undergraduates overall. Grounded in critical multiracial theory (MultiCrit) and quantitative critical race theory (QuantCrit), this quantitative study utilized a sample of student records (N = 10,921) from a public, predominantly White university spanning 2010-2020 to examine whether self-reported or institutionally ascribed race/ethnicity categories reveal gaps in graduation odds between multiracially categorized undergraduates and their peers using binary logistic regression. Self-labeled multiracial students had higher odds of recategorization per Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) standards than a majority of comparison groups. Further, different statistically significant graduation gaps involving multiracially categorized students were found using self-reported race/ethnicity categories compared to their assigned IPEDS reporting categories. All but one statistically significant finding showed the multiracial reference group as more likely to graduate than the comparison group. Implications are outlined to reduce erasure of statistically significant graduation gaps related to multiracially categorized undergraduates resulting from IPEDS (re)categorization. |
|---|---|
| ISSN: | 1938-8926 1938-8934 |
| DOI: | 10.1037/dhe0000556 |
