Giving Compass' Take: 

• San Francisco State University study found that the graduation rates in ethnic studies majors were higher than nonmajors. Other studies can support these findings by noting that culturally relevant courses are easier for students to connect with the curriculum and increase outcomes of graduating. 

• How can schools promote ethnic studies courses more to freshmen students as to encourage higher retention rates? 

• Read about how philanthropists are using data science to boost college graduation rates. 

Preliminary data from a San Francisco State University evaluation study demonstrates that students in ethnic studies majors graduate at approximately 20% higher rates than nonmajors. At the same time, students enrolled in at least one ethnic studies class also graduated at a higher rate than students not taking the class. According to a press release from the university, ethnic studies majors maintained a six-year graduation rate of 77.3% compared with a rate of 52.3% for nonmajors.

The results suggest that cultural education via courses like ethnic studies enhance student outcomes and ability to persist, as Ken Monteiro, the acting director of the César Chávez Institute at the university told Inside Higher Ed.

The caveat to the study, as a professor at the institution told Inside Higher Ed, is that the results don't demonstrate causation, but rather some correlation between ethnic studies courses and graduation. However, other studies have shown such courses do improve outcomes not only at the higher education level but also for at-risk high school students.

The idea that culturally relevant teaching materials can help students connect better with the curriculum is not a new one. Experts across K-12 and higher education have shown, for example, when it comes to the types of texts instructors use, those with characters and plots directly relevant to students tend to be more understandable.

The results of the San Francisco State University study suggest that administrators may want to consider the impact cultural education may have on student outcomes, particularly at-risk students seeking ways of connecting to their educational experience. More industry experts are recognizing now that completion is not simply a matter of grades or data collection, but can be impacted by external factors like whether students feel excluded on campus.

Read the full article about ethnic studies major by Shalina Chatlani at Education Dive