UC Davis

This research study examined earning disparities between five cohorts of Black and White bachelor’s degree recipients at the University of California two (N = 33,428), four (N = 30,096), six (N = 29,829), and ten (N = 29,330) years post-graduation. Results show that without adjustments, there is a sizeable and compounding Black-White wage gap. With pre-college adjustments and both pre-college adjustments and post-matriculation adjustments, Black-White wage gaps for the UC graduates were statistically insignificant with pre-college adjustments diminishing the race effect showing that graduates with similar pre-college characteristics fared the same in the labor market regarding earnings. No statistically significant differences were observed between the earnings of Black and White first-generation students. Differences in earnings between Black and White graduates who earned subsequent degrees were small and not statistically significant with Black and White graduates with a subsequent degree earning less than their peers without one signaling that going to graduate school equals time out of the labor market which works to the advantage of those who decide not to pursue a subsequent degree. From a gender perspective, Black males were found to earn less than White males and White females earned more than Black females. This study focused on the general pay gap, so more research is needed to explore potential Black-White occupational wage gaps. Some implications for policy and practice include providing Black students with access to high-paying fields of study, closing Black-White academic achievement gaps starting the K-12 level, and providing access to internships and study abroad programs in an equitable way.Keywords: wage disparity, earnings, racial discrimination, labor market