Austin 2030 chose postsecondary outcomes as a pilot focus area for testing the power of collective action.

Austin consistently ranks at the top of national “Best Of” lists and its economy is booming. Yet our city is not working for all kids and families. While Austin is ranked No. 7 in Forbes Advisor’s Most Educated Cities in the U.S., many Austinites are shocked to learn that postsecondary enrollment rates in Travis County are among the lowest in Texas, especially for Black and Hispanic students, and those from low-income families. 

Austin has excelled in recruiting companies and educated workers to Central Texas, but we continue to struggle to provide our own young people with the skills they need to thrive and prosper.

Data from the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board and the Texas Education Agency show the postsecondary enrollment rates (within one year of high school graduation) and postsecondary completion outcomes (within six years of high school graduation) for students in Travis County who started 8th grade in 2011 and are now 27-years old. 

• 77% of Black students graduated from high school, but only 44% enrolled in postsecondary, and just 12.5% completed a degree or credential

• 76% of Hispanic students graduated from high school, but only 37% enrolled in postsecondary, and just 12% earned a degree or credential

• 83% of White students graduated from high school, while 62% enrolled in postsecondary, and 32% completed a degree or credential

• 73% of students from low-income families graduated from high school, but only 33.5% enrolled in postsecondary, and just 9% completed a degree or credential 

• 86% of students from non-low-income families graduated from high school, while 62.5% enrolled in postsecondary, and 33% completed a degree or credential

Travis County’s postsecondary enrollment and completion rates are unacceptable when we know that higher education attainment is the bridge to empowering lives, cultivating a healthy and resilient community, and sustaining a robust economy. 

According to data from E3 Alliance, two-thirds of all jobs now require some sort of postsecondary credential - a workforce certificate or a two- or four-year degree. Austin students who do not complete a postsecondary credential within six years of leaving high school have just a 12% chance of earning a living wage. This is not okay when we know that earning a living wage is the gateway to physical health, wellbeing, civic engagement, and a fulfilling life.

In her book, Making It: What Today’s Kids Need for Tomorrow’s World, Dr. Stephanie Malia Krass asserts that there are four life currencies (her colleague Karen Pittman added the fifth, collective identity) all PreK-12 students need to life a successful life, no matter their choice of postsecondary pathway. The Five Currencies framework illustrates the holistic support and development needed by all students, with particular attunement to the context factors that have especially undermined students of color and students from low-income backgrounds.