62% Of College Students Are Also Employed: Infographic

A graphic created last year by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation sheds some light on how the American college environment is changing. The key theme is diversification.

“There’s no one-size-fits-all path to (or through) college—and we need to plan our education policies accordingly,” the foundation said on its website.

The graphic, which was created using data from the National Center for Education Statistics and other sources, is a snapshot at what the modern college environment looks like.

Today’s college students are working hard both inside and outside the classroom, with 62 percent working some type of job in addition to classes.

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The United States appears to have turned a corner when it comes to gender equality in education, as 56 percent of college students are now female.

Today’s colleges demonstrate excellent racial diversity as well. The graphic shows that 42 percent of college students are minorities, well above the 36 percent reported in the general population as of the 2010 census.

While the majority of college students still fall in the 17–21 age range, nearly half (47 percent) are 22 or older.

Incredibly, 28 percent of college students balance school and parenting.

Finally, 27 percent of today’s college learning takes place either partially or entirely online.