Place Matters: The Distribution of Access to a State Flagship University

Abstract

This article examines the degree to which admission cohorts at a selective public flagship university in the United States reflect the state's broader social and economic diversity. US Census data and University admission data on socio-demographic characteristics, including race, gender, place of residence, family income and education levels, are used in conjunction with geo-spatial mapping to portray the distribution of access to the University for a variety of sub-populations over time. The data reveal persistent patterns of disproportionate representation, with the highest degree of access to the University concentrated predominately among Caucasian students in suburban areas of the state. The authors argue that such disproportionate access to the University has implications for the distribution of the public goods produced by elite public universities.