Under-Represented Population (URP) Committee

Question and Answers

Data from the U.S. Census Bureau are periodically updated and the most recently updated version may not be reflected in the subsequent sections below.

1) What are the racial/ethnic categories tracked by the University of Hawaiʻi and how does it compare to the categories included in the state-level census data?

The race/ethnic categories tracked by the University of Hawaiʻi are included in the table below, with their corresponding race/ethnic categories (or derived categories) as included in the state-level census data.

1. Race/ethnic categories tracked by the University of Hawaiʻi
Race/Ethnicity¹ Category in the University of Hawaiʻi	Census Category or Derived Census Category
American Indian or Alaskan Native	Summation of the “American Indian alone” category and “Alaska Native alone” category
Asian Indian	Asian Indian alone
Black or African American	Black or African American alone
Caucasian or White	White alone
Chinese	Summation of the “Chinese, except Taiwanese, alone” category and the “Taiwanese alone” category
Filipino	Filipino alone
Guamanian or Chamorro (GC)	Guamanian or Chamorro alone
Hispanic/Latino	Hispanic total
Japanese	Japanese alone
Korean	Korean alone
Laotian	Laotian alone
Micronesian (Not GC)	n/a
Mixed Asian (derived from multiple Asian responses)	“Asian alone” subtracted from the “Asian alone or in combination with one or more other races” category
Mixed Race/Ethnicity (derived from multiple race category responses)	Two or more races
Mixed Pacific Islander (derived from multiple Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander responses)	n/a
Native Hawaiian or Part-Hawaiian	Native Hawaiian alone or in combination with one or more other races
Other Asian	All combinations of Asian races only
Other Pacific Islander	Other Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander
Race/Ethnicity unknown	n/a
Samoan	Samoan alone
Thai	Thai alone
Tongan	Tongan alone
Vietnamese	Vietnamese alone

¹ These race/ethnic categories may not reflect externally reported data, such as information reported to the National Center of Education Statistics (IPEDS system). For more details on how the University of Hawaiʻi aligns its internal reporting of race/ethnicity with externally reported information, please refer to the “Changes in Reporting Race and Ethnicity Data for Students” document.

2) What is the relative racial/ethnic distribution of students in the University of Hawaiʻi and how does it compare to the distribution in the state-level census data?

The racial/ethnic distribution of students enrolled in the University of Hawaiʻi (as of the Fall 2020 semester) was compared to the estimated population of adults aged 18-25 in Hawaiʻi.

Students from some backgrounds are found to be reflected in the University of Hawaiʻi in a relatively higher level than the adult population in Hawaiʻi and include representation from the following racial and ethnic backgrounds:
American Indian or Alaskan Native (+0.20%), Asian Indian (+0.20%), Chinese (+1.4%), Japanese (+0.3%), Korean (+0.70%), Native Hawaiian or Part Hawaiian (+0.60%), and Vietnamese (+0.5%).

Students from some backgrounds are found to be reflected in the University of Hawaiʻi in a relatively lower level than the adult population in Hawaiʻi and include representation from the following racial and ethnic backgrounds:
Black or African American (-2.00%), Caucasian or White (-8.70%), Filipino (-0.10%), Guamanian or Chamorro (-0.20%), Hispanic/Latino (-12.40%), Laotian (-0.10%), Mixed Asian (-13.60%), Mixed Race/Ethnicity (-12.50%), Other Asian (-3.50%), Other Pacific Islander (-2.20%), Samoan (-0.60%), Thai (-0.10%), and Tongan (-0.40%).

2. Racial/Ethnic distribution
Race/Ethnicity Category in the University of Hawaiʻi	% of UH Students	% of Population (18-25)	% Difference
American Indian or Alaskan Native	0.40%	0.20%	0.20%
Asian Indian	0.30%	0.10%	0.20%
Black or African American	1.50%	3.50%	-2.00%
Caucasian or White	17.50%	26.20%	-8.70%
Chinese	3.90%	2.50%	1.40%
Filipino	14.10%	14.20%	-0.10%
Guamanian or Chamorro	0.20%	0.40%	-0.20%
Hispanic/Latino	1.80%	14.20%	-12.40%
Japanese	6.00%	5.70%	0.30%
Korean	1.80%	1.10%	0.70%
Laotian	0.10%	0.20%	-0.10%
*Micronesian (not GC)	0.70%	n/a	n/a
Mixed Asian	8.20%	21.80%	-13.60%
*Mixed Pacific Islander	0.30%	n/a	n/a
Mixed Race/Ethnicity	15.20%	27.70%	-12.50%
Native Hawaiian or Part-Hawaiian	24.30%	23.7%	0.60%
Other Asian	0.50%	4.00%	-3.50%
Other Pacific Islander	0.20%	2.40%	-2.20%
Samoan	0.70%	1.30%	-0.60%
Thai	0.10%	0.20%	-0.10%
Tongan	0.10%	0.50%	-0.40%
Vietnamese	1.20%	0.70%	0.50%

*Note: The relative distribution of students from Micronesian (not GC) and Mixed Pacific Islander backgrounds could not be determined due to limitations with racial and ethnic categories as included in the U.S. Census Bureau.

Sources:

U.S. Census Bureau (2019). ACS 5-year estimates- Public Use Microdata Sample: Custom Table: Recorded Detailed Race Code by Age. Retrieved from https://data.census.gov/mdat/#/search?ds=ACSPUMS5Y2019&cv=AGEP&rv=RAC2P&nv=ucgid&wt=PWGTP&g=0400000US15
U.S. Census Bureau (2019). ACS 5-year estimates- Public Use Microdata Sample: Custom Table: Hispanic Origin by Age. Retrieved from: https://data.census.gov/mdat/#/search?ds=ACSPUMS5Y2019&cv=AGEP&rv=HISP&nv=ucgid&wt=PWGTP&g=0400000US15
University of Hawaiʻi System (2021). Enrollment Table 4: Selected Student Characteristics, by Unit. Retrieved from: https://www.hawaii.edu/institutionalresearch/enrT04Report.action?SEM_YR_IRO=2020-8&ETHNICITY_TOGGLE=ALL_ETHNICITY&MAJOR_TOGGLE=ALL_MAJORS&drillThruLevel=&agglevel=&reportId=ENRT04&campusContext=&drillId=&VALUE=&exportType=&drillValue=&drillTarget

3) What is the relative racial/ethnic distribution of under-represented minorities (URM) in the University of Hawaiʻi and how does it compare to the distribution in the state-level census data?

The racial/ethnic distribution of under-represented students enrolled in the University of Hawaiʻi (as of the Fall 2020 semester) was compared to the estimated population of adults aged 18-25 in Hawaiʻi. Individuals from these backgrounds collectively represent a large proportion of the adult population in Hawaiʻi (60.4%). More than the majority of individuals from these backgrounds distinctly represent at least 1% of the adult population in Hawaiʻi, with the exception of American Indian or Alaskan Native and Guamanian or Chamorro, whose combined population represents less than 1% of the overall adult population. Despite their relatively large representation among the adult population in Hawaiʻi, their representation is relatively low in the University of Hawaiʻi (-17.10% difference).

Relative distribution at the University of Hawaiʻi
Under-represented populations	% of UH Students	% of Population (18-25)	% Difference
American Indian or Alaskan Native	0.40%	0.20%	0.20%
Black or African American	1.50%	3.50%	-2.00%
Filipino	14.10%	14.20%	-0.10%
Guamanian or Chamorro	0.20%	0.40%	-0.20%
Hispanic/Latino	1.80%	14.20%	-12.40%
*Micronesian (not GC)	0.70%	n/a	n/a
*Mixed Pacific Islander	0.30%	n/a	n/a
Native Hawaiian or Part-Hawaiian	24.30%	23.7%	0.6%
Other Pacific Islander	0.20%	2.40%	-2.20%
Samoan	0.70%	1.30%	-0.60%
Tongan	0.10%	0.50%	-0.40%
Total¹	43.30%	60.40%	-17.10%

*Note: The estimated representation of adults aged 18-25 from Micronesian (not GC) and Mixed Pacific Islander backgrounds could not be determined due to limitations with racial and ethnic categories as included in the U.S. Census Bureau.
¹Total excludes individuals from Micronesian (not GC) and Mixed Pacific Islander backgrounds.

Sources:

U.S. Census Bureau (2019). ACS 5-year estimates- Public Use Microdata Sample: Custom Table: Recorded Detailed Race Code by Age. Retrieved from:
https://data.census.gov/mdat/#/search?ds=ACSPUMS5Y2019&cv=AGEP&rv=RAC2P&nv=ucgid&wt=PWGTP&g=0400000US15
U.S. Census Bureau (2019). ACS 5-year estimates- Public Use Microdata Sample: Custom Table: Hispanic Origin by Age. Retrieved from: https://data.census.gov/mdat/#/search?ds=ACSPUMS5Y2019&cv=AGEP&rv=HISP&nv=ucgid&wt=PWGTP&g=0400000US15
University of Hawaiʻi System (2021). Enrollment Table 4: Selected Student Characteristics, by Unit. Retrieved from:
https://www.hawaii.edu/institutionalresearch/enrT04Report.action?SEM_YR_IRO=2020-8&ETHNICITY_TOGGLE=ALL_ETHNICITY&MAJOR_TOGGLE=ALL_MAJORS&drillThruLevel=&agglevel=&reportId=ENRT04&campusContext=&drillId=&VALUE=&exportType=&drillValue=&drillTarget

4) What is the relative racial/ethnic distribution among the adult population and how does how does it compare to the distribution of adults with a post-secondary degree as included in the state-level census data?

The estimated level of degree attainment among the adult population aged 18-25 was compared to the estimated percentage of the adult population in Hawaiʻi, distributed by race and ethnicity.

Adults from the following racial/ethnic backgrounds are found to have relatively higher levels of degree attainment in comparison to their respective level of representation among the adult population in Hawaiʻi: Asian (alone, +0.70%), Chinese (alone or in any combination, +0.70%), Japanese (alone, +3.40%, and in any combination, +4.40%), and White (alone, +6.50%, and in combination with one or more races, +5.30%).

Adults from the following racial/ethnic backgrounds are found to have relatively lower levels of degree attainment in comparison to their respective distribution among the adult population in Hawaiʻi: Asian (alone or in combination with one or more races, -0.30%), Filipino (alone, -4.00%, and in any combination, -5.40%), Hispanic or Latino (of any race, -1.70%), Native Hawaiian (alone, -3.00%, and in any combination, -5.80%), Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islander (alone, -4.90%, and in any combination, -7.90%), Polynesian (alone, -4.00%, and in any combination,-6.90%), and two or more races (-2.30%).

Race/Ethnic distribution and degree attainment at the University of Hawaiʻi
Race and Hispanic or Latino Origin	% of Adult Population with an Associate Degree or higher	% of Total Adult Population (18-25)	% Difference
Asian alone	44.30%	43.60%	0.70%
Asian alone or in combination with one or more other races	56.20%	56.50%	-0.30%
Chinese alone or in any combination	13.10%	12.40%	0.70%
Filipino alone	12.70%	16.70%	-4.00%
Filipino alone or in any combination	18.00%	23.40%	-5.40%
Hispanic or Latino (of any race)	6.10%	7.80%	-1.70%
Japanese alone	18.60%	15.20%	3.40%
Japanese alone or in any combination	26.20%	21.80%	4.40%
Native Hawaiian alone	3.30%	6.30%	-3.00%
Native Hawaiian or in any combination	10.60%	16.40%	-5.80%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone	5.00%	9.90%	-4.90%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone or in combination	12.60%	20.50%	-7.90%
Polynesian alone	4.00%	8.00%	-4.00%
Polynesian alone or in any combination	11.50%	18.40%	-6.90%
Two or more races	14.40%	16.70%	-2.30%
White alone	32.60%	26.10%	6.50%
White alone or in combination with one or more other races	43.70%	38.40%	5.30%

Sources:

U.S. Census Bureau (2019). ACS 1-year Estimates Selected Population Profiles. Retrieved from: https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?q=Educational%20Attainment&t=-00%20-%20All%20available%20races&g=0400000US15&tid=ACSSPP1Y2018.S0201&tp=true&hidePreview=true
U.S. Census Bureau (2019). ACS 1-year Estimates Subject Tables. Retrieved from: https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?q=education&t=Educational%20Attainment&g=0400000US15&tid=ACSST1Y2019.S1501&hidePreview=true

5) What is the retention rate of first-year undergraduate students distributed by race and ethnicity at the University of Hawaiʻi?

The weighted retention rate of first-year students enrolled in the fall 2015 to fall 2019 semesters at the University of Hawaiʻi was examined and revealed an overall improvement (+3%) in retention rates across all racial/ethnic categories.

The rate of improvement, however, did vary significantly with the greatest improvements, or changes greater than 3% (from fall 2015 to fall 2019) in retention rates for students from the following racial and ethnic backgrounds (students from under-represented backgrounds are denoted with an asterisk (*)):
*African American or Black (+12%), *American Indian or Alaskan Native (+38%), Asian Indian (+9%), Caucasian or White (+5%), *Guamanian or Chamorro (+50%), *IPEDS Hispanic (+5%), Japanese (+4%), Korean (+23%), Laotian (+33%), *Micronesian (not GC, +8%), Mixed Asian (+5%), Mixed Race (2 or more, +5%), *Native Hawaiian or Part-Hawaiian (+3%), Other Asian (+6%), *Samoan (+7%), Thai (+70%), and Vietnamese (+9%).

The rate of improvement in retention rates lagged from the overall retention rate, or changes less than 3% (from fall 2015 to fall 2019) for students from the following racial and ethnic backgrounds (students from under-represented backgrounds are denoted with an asterisk (*)):
Chinese (+1%), *Filipino (-2%), *Hispanic (+2%), *Mixed Pacific Islander (-9%), *Other Pacific Islander (-9%), and *Tongan (-23%).

When comparing the most current overall weighted retention rates of students at the University of Hawaiʻi (fall 2019, 71%) to individual weighted graduation rates by race and ethnicity, retention rates for students from the following racial and ethnic backgrounds continue to lag behind (graduation rate is less than 71%, students from under-represented backgrounds are denoted with an asterisk (*)):
*African American or Black (-6%), Caucasian or White (-7%), *Guamanian or Chamorro (-4%), *Hispanic (-12%), *IPEDS Hispanic (-5%), Laotian (-37%), *Micronesian (not GC, -14%), *Mixed Pacific Islander (-29%), *Native Hawaiian or Part-Hawaiian (-6%), Other Asian (-1%), *Samoan (-5%), and *Tongan (-21%).

Retention of first-year undergraduate students distributed by race and ethnicity
Race/Ethnicity, University of Hawaiʻi	Weighted Retention Rate¹, University of Hawaiʻi
Race/Ethnicity, University of Hawaiʻi	2015	2016	2017	2018	2019	% Change (2015-19)	% Difference from Overall Rate (2019)
*African American or Black	52%	59%	62%	60%	65%	12%	-6%
*American Indian or Alaskan Native	44%	42%	42%	56%	82%	38%	11%
*Asian Indian	76%	76%	70%	77%	86%	9%	15%
Caucasian or White	59%	60%	60%	66%	64%	5%	-7%
Chinese	87%	88%	85%	87%	88%	1%	17%
*Filipino	79%	76%	75%	80%	76%	-2%	6%
*Guamanian or Chamorro	17%	62%	64%	56%	67%	50%	-4%
*Hispanic	57%	65%	53%	74%	59%	2%	-12%
*IPEDS Hispanic	61%	58%	62%	68%	66%	5%	-5%
Japanese	80%	82%	79%	86%	84%	4%	14%
Korean	59%	64%	75%	77%	81%	23%	11%
Laotian	0%	100%	67%	67%	33%	33%	-37%
*Micronesian (not GC	49%	54%	52%	62%	57%	8%	-14%
Mixed Asian	78%	78%	79%	80%	83%	5%	12%
*Mixed Pacific Islander	50%	58%	52%	76%	41%	-9%	-29%
Mixed Race (2 or more)	66%	66%	65%	70%	72%	5%	1%
*Native Hawaiian or Part-Hawaiian	61%	60%	62%	63%	65%	3%	-6%
No data	0%	0%	0%	0%	0%	0%	n/a
Other Asian	64%	79%	82%	63%	70%	6%	-1%
*Other Pacific Islander	91%	38%	18%	44%	82%	-9%	11%
*Samoan	58%	59%	60%	52%	65%	7%	-5%
Thai	0%	100%	100%	40%	70%	70%	0%
*Tongan	73%	50%	46%	42%	50%	-23%	21%
Vietnamese	81%	83%	93%	81%	90%	9%	19%
Overall²	67%	68%	68%	71%	71%	3%	n/a

¹ The weighted retention rate is inclusive of the fall to fall retention rate for all University of Hawaiʻi institutions.
² Overall retention rates have been adjusted to remove student duplications that may exist across race/ethnic categories (i.e. Hispanic and IPEDS Hispanic) and is inclusive of students whose race/ethnicity is unknown or unreported.

Source: University of Hawaiʻi Institutional Research Analysis and Planning Office

6) What is the graduation rate of first-time, full-time undergraduate students distributed by race and ethnicity at the University of Hawaiʻi?

The weighted graduation rate of first-time students enrolled in a full-time capacity in the fall 2010 to fall 2015 semesters at the University of Hawai’i was examined and revealed an overall improvement (+8%) of graduation rates across all racial/ethnic categories.

The rate of improvement, however, did vary significantly with the greatest improvements, or changes equal to or greater than 8% (from fall 2010 to fall 2015) in graduation rates for students from the following racial and ethnic backgrounds (students from under-represented backgrounds are denoted with an asterisk (*)): *African American or Black (8%), Asian Indian (39%), Caucasian or White (8%), Chinese (13%), Filipino (15%), *Samoan (9%), Thai (57%), *Tongan (12%).

The rate of improvement in graduation rates lagged from the overall graduation rate, or changes less than 13% (from fall 2014 to fall 2017) for students from the following racial and ethnic backgrounds (students from under-represented backgrounds are denoted with an asterisk (*)):
*American Indian or Alaskan Native (-3%), Chinese (12%), *Filipino (11%), *Guamanian or Chamorro (-8%), Japanese (7%), *Micronesian (not GC, -1%), Mixed Race (2 or more, 12%), *Native Hawaiian or Part-Hawaiian (12%), Thai (-7%) and *Tongan (-15%).

The rate of improvement in graduation rates lagged from the overall graduation rate, or changes less than 8% (from fall 2010 to fall 2015) for students from the following racial and ethnic backgrounds (students from under-represented backgrounds are denoted with an asterisk (*)):
*American Indian or Alaskan Native (-1%), *Guamanian or Chamorro (-17%), Hispanic (2%, IPEDS Hispanic 3%), Japanese (7%), Korean (3%), Laotian (-13%), *Micronesian (not GC, -1%), Mixed Asian (3%), Mixed Pacific Islander (6%), Mixed Race (2 or more, 4%), *Native Hawaiian or Part-Hawaiian (7%), Other Asian (0%), Other Pacific Islander (-8%), and Vietnamese (6%).

When comparing the most current overall weighted graduation rates of students at the University of Hawai’i (fall 2015, 57%) to individual weighted graduation rates by race and ethnicity, graduation rates for students from the following racial and ethnic backgrounds continue to lag behind with a graduation rate less than 57% (students from under-represented backgrounds are denoted with an asterisk (*)):
*African American or Black (-11%), *American Indian or Alaskan Native (-24%), Caucasian or White (-1%), *Guamanian or Chamorro (-28%), *Hispanic (-9%), *Micronesian (not GC, -23%), *Mixed Pacific Islander (-31%), Mixed Race (2 or more, -2%), *Native Hawaiian or Part-Hawaiian (-11%), Other Asian (-1%), *Other Pacific Islander (-10%), *Samoan (-11%), and *Tongan (-10 %).

Graduation rate of first-time, full time undergraduate students distributed by race and ethnicity
Race/ Ethnicity, University of Hawaiʻi	Weighted Graduation Rate¹, University of Hawaiʻi
Race/ Ethnicity, University of Hawaiʻi	2010	2011	2012	2013	2014	2015	% Change (2010-15)	% Difference from Overall Rate (2015)
*African American or Black	18%	21%	26%	24%	23%	26%	8%	-11%
*American Indian or Alaskan Native	14%	13%	5%	17%	30%	13%	-1%	-24%
*Asian Indian	20%	40%	0%	22%	17%	59%	39%	22%
Caucasian or White	28%	32%	33%	33%	33%	36%	8%	-1%
Chinese	52%	52%	57%	61%	54%	65%	13%	28%
*Filipino	26%	35%	33%	35%	41%	40%	15%	4%
*Guamanian or Chamorro	25%	18%	27%	10%	56%	8%	-17%	-28%
*Hispanic	26%	27%	29%	29%	31%	27%	2%	-9%
*IPEDS Hispanic	35%	38%	36%	36%	38%	38%	3%	1%
Japanese	48%	53%	51%	52%	55%	55%	7%	18%
Korean	39%	42%	40%	30%	44%	42%	3%	5%
Laotian	13%	23%	0%	25%	33%	0%	-13%	-37%
*Micronesian (not GC	15%	14%	18%	16%	19%	14%	-1%	-23%
Mixed Asian	44%	44%	47%	50%	46%	47%	3%	10%
*Mixed Pacific Islander	0%	29%	17%	23%	7%	6%	6%	-31%
Mixed Race (2 or more)	31%	35%	32%	36%	34%	35%	4%	-2%
*Native Hawaiian or Part-Hawaiian	20%	24%	22%	23%	23%	26%	7%	-11%
No data	12%	17%	22%	21%	30%	55%	42%	18%
Other Asian	36%	53%	29%	53%	40%	36%	0%	-1%
*Other Pacific Islander	36%	20%	18%	20%	0%	27%	-8%	-10%
*Samoan	16%	17%	2%	22%	21%	26%	9%	-11%
Thai	n/a	25%	33%	29%	50%	57%	57%	20%
*Tongan	15%	0%	57%	33%	15%	27%	12%	-10%
Vietnamese	43%	41%	51%	37%	37%	49%	6%	12%
Overall²	29%	33%	33%	34%	35%	37%	8%	0

¹ The weighted graduation rate is inclusive of the 150% graduation rate for all University of Hawaiʻi institutions, and also includes the success rates for community colleges.
² Overall graduation rates have been adjusted to remove student duplications that may exist across race/ethnic categories (i.e. Hispanic and IPEDS Hispanic) and is inclusive of students whose race/ethnicity is unknown or unreported.

Source: University of Hawaiʻi Institutional Research Analysis and Planning Office

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