Higher education is associated with greater earnings and standard of living. College graduates earn more money, live longer and healthier lives, and are more engaged citizens.

In 2020, institutions of higher education in Westchester County admitted a lower share of African American applicants (70%) compared to 85% of white applicants, 83% of Hispanic applicants, and 82% of Asian applicants. Rates of acceptance have increased among all races and ethnicities since 2013 - the Hispanic acceptance rate has increased the most by 23 points, followed by whites with a 19-point increase, African Americans (16-point increase) and Asians (15-point increase).

Westchester had lower acceptance rates among African American, Hispanic and white applicants than Rockland County (87%, 86% and 95% respectively), and the lowest acceptance rate among Asian applicants compared to both Rockland and Nassau counties (94% and 84% respectively).

Students of color face systemic barriers in the American education system, including exclusion, segregation, fewer resources, and lower familial wealth. As a result, students of color are more likely to attend-high poverty schools, have less access to core college preparatory classes, and fare worse on standardized admissions tests, making it harder for people of color to access institutes of higher education. Additionally, legacy admissions preferences perpetuate long-standing inequalities in college access.

This data does not tell us where students residing in Westchester (or any other county) are admitted or enrolled in college, since it is only available grouped by institutions within counties. The data reflects students admitted for the first time on a part- or full-time basis.