Fast Facts: Race/ethnicity of college faculty (61)

Race/ethnicity of college faculty

Question:
Do you have any information on the race/ethnicity of college and university faculty?

Response:

In fall 2020, of the 1.5 million faculty at degree-granting postsecondary institutions, 56 percent were full time and 44 percent were part time. Faculty include professors, associate professors, assistant professors, instructors, lecturers, assisting professors, adjunct professors, and interim professors.

Considering full-time faculty only, in fall 2020, nearly three-quarters of faculty were White. Specifically, 39 percent were White males and 35 percent were White females. The next largest racial/ethnic group was Asian/Pacific Islander faculty: 7 percent were Asian/Pacific Islander males and 5 percent were Asian/Pacific Islander females. Four percent of full-time faculty were Black females, and 3 percent each were Black males, Hispanic males, and Hispanic females.¹ American Indian/Alaska Native individuals and individuals of Two or more races each made up 1 percent or less of full-time faculty.

The racial/ethnic and sex distribution of full-time faculty varied by academic rank at degree-granting postsecondary institutions in fall 2020. For example, among full-time professors, 51 percent were White males and 8 percent were Asian/Pacific Islander males, while among full-time assistant professors, these percentages were 32 percent and 7 percent, respectively. Among full-time professors, another 28 percent were White females, 4 percent were Asian/Pacific Islander females and 2 percent each were Black males, Black females, Hispanic males, and Hispanic females, which were lower than their shares of full-time assistant professors. Specifically, among full-time assistant professors, 38 percent were White females, 7 percent were Asian/Pacific Islander females, 5 percent were Black females and 3 percent each were Black males, Hispanic males, and Hispanic females. Individuals of Two or more races made up 1 percent of full-time professors, and 2 percent of full-time assistant professors, while American Indian/Alaska Native individuals made up less than 1 percent each of full-time professors and assistant professors.

For each academic rank, percentage distribution of full-time faculty in degree-granting postsecondary institutions, by race/ethnicity and sex: Fall 2020

The data in this figure is described in the surrounding text.

# Rounds to zero.

NOTE: Data represent the 50 states and the District of Columbia. Only instructional faculty were classified by academic rank. Sex breakouts are excluded for faculty who were American Indian/Alaska Native and of Two or more races because the percentages were 1 percent or less. Degree-granting institutions grant associate’s or higher degrees and participate in Title IV federal financial aid programs. Race categories exclude persons of Hispanic ethnicity. Percentages are based on full-time faculty whose race/ethnicity was known. Detail may not sum to 100 percent due to rounding. Although rounded numbers are displayed, the figures are based on unrounded data.

¹ Percentages are based on full-time faculty whose race/ethnicity was known. Race/ethnicity was not collected for nonresident aliens.

SOURCE: National Center for Education Statistics. (2022). Characteristics of Postsecondary Faculty. Condition of Education. U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences. Retrieved May 31, 2022, from https://nces.ed.gov/programs/coe/indicator/csc.

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