Report: A third of graduates attend UW

For a third of Wisconsin high school graduates in 1999, the next step was enrolling at a UW System campus.

This access rate is among the highest in the nation, says a report to be presented at the Board of Regents meeting Oct. 5-6 at UW-La Crosse.

The report was prepared by the Office of Policy Analysis and Research. It analyzes trends in access rates and the degree to which access differs by gender and race/ethnicity.

Last year, about 45 of every 100 Wisconsin high school graduates applied for admission to a UW System campus. Of that number, 42 were admitted at one or more campuses and 33 actually enrolled.

“We’re committed to maintaining a high level of access to Wisconsin high school graduates,” says UW System President Katharine Lyall. “This report underscores the fact that our enrollment management plans have been on target. I’m pleased that 94 percent of the students who wanted to attend a UW System campus in 1999 were able to enroll.”

The UW System access rate has been at 30 percent or higher since 1984. It has remained at that level despite a 12.5 percent increase in the number of high school graduates since 1995. Enrollment of new freshmen increased by 17 percent during that period, resulting in a higher access rate overall.

Despite the high level of access, Lyall notes some differences in access based on gender and race or ethnicity.

“Many colleges and universities nationwide, both public and private, have noticed a growing disparity in the number of male and female students,” says Lyall. “Far fewer male high school students are applying to the UW System than female.”

While 48 percent of all Wisconsin women high school graduates applied to a UW System campus in 1999, only 37 percent of their male counterparts did so. As a result, the access rate for women was 36 percent, while the access rate for men was just 28 percent. Frank Goldberg, associate vice president for policy analysis and research, says male students seem to drop out of the path toward college at an early stage.

Lyall also noted a disparity in the access rate between white students and students of color. In both categories, 66 out of 100 students took the ACT exam. Among students of color, however, only 33 of the 66 applied for admission to the UW System, compared with 43 of 66 white students.

The acceptance rates for those who applied were roughly equal, but only 73 percent of admitted students of color enrolled, compared with 80 percent of admitted white students. The result was a 22 percent access rate for students of color and a 33 percent access rate for white students.

Says Lyall: “We are continuing to address the disparity in application and enrollment rates as part of our Plan 2008 initiative.