Race and Sex Group Equity in Higher Education: Institutional and Major Field Enrollment Statuses

Office of Civil Rights data were used to examine how blacks and whites and males and females were distributed in different types of higher educational institutions and in academic major fields within higher educational institutions in the mid 1970’s. Findings show that black participation in higher education in 1976 remained largely concentrated in traditionally black Southern institutions and in four-year colleges. Also, black students as well as females remained severely underrepresented in graduate and professional institutions in 1976. In addition, examination of major field distributions indicates that in 1974 blacks and females were still greatly overrepresented in education and the social sciences and underrepresented in the technical sciences. Issues relevant to increasing the meaningful participation of blacks and females in higher education are raised for policy consideration.