The number of minority students at colleges in the United States has more than doubled since 1981, but white students are still more likely to attend college, according to a report issued recently by the American Council on Education.

Enrollment at the three regent universities in Iowa — Iowa State University, the University of Iowa and the University of Northern Iowa — has followed with this national trend. All three universities have seen a rise in minority student enrollment but overall enrollment numbers have dropped for two of the universities.6

Fall enrollment has dropped at the regent universities by 955 students, leaving the total number at 70,566 students, according to Iowa Board of Regents documents. This is the first year an enrollment decrease has occurred at the schools since the fall of 1995, although last year saw a decline in freshman enrollment.

Despite the decrease, minority enrollment was up by 188 students at all three regent universities, leaving the total number of minority students at 5,372. This is the tenth year for minority student populations to increase. However, the numbers still fall short of the goal set by the regents for minority student enrollment.

The Board of Regents set a goal in 1986 of reaching an 8.5 percent minority student population. Iowa State’s current total minority student population is 7.6 percent. The incoming freshman class, however, was made up of 9 percent minority students, up slightly from last year’s numbers.

Marc Harding, director of admissions, was unable to predict when Iowa State would meet the regents’ goal.

In order to meet the regents’ goal, the university will need to have individual classes, such as this year’s freshman class, that reflect that number, said Registrar Kathleen Jones. “A class of 9 percent [minority students] helps to meet that goal,” she said.

Although Iowa State saw a 1.9 percent decrease in student enrollment, the number of incoming minority freshmen was up slightly. The total number of minority students increased by 0.29 percent.

Iowa State saw an increase in the Hispanic-American and Asian-American populations, but a decrease in African-American and Native American enrollment, according to regent documents.

The University of Iowa experienced a decrease in the number of African-American students for the second year in a row, but saw increases in the number of Hispanic-American, Native American and Asian-American students.

The University of Northern Iowa, which saw the highest increase of minority students with 5.8 percent, saw increases in all categories of minority students.

Hispanic and African-American women accounted for some of the most dramatic minority gains at universities nationwide, according to the council’s report.

A type of “community effort” by the university admissions office, multi-cultural offices, faculty and others on campus have been key to the slight increase in minority students seen this year, Harding said.