Kern County Times

Hispanic students were the most represented ethnicity among students at Kern County universities in the 2022-23 school year, according to the latest disclosure from the National Center for Education Statistics.

Of the 40,928 students attending institutions in the county at the time, 67.6% were Hispanic. This is a decrease of 2.4% in enrollment numbers, compared to the previous year.

White students comprised the second largest ethnic group in the county, followed by Black or African American students.

Countywide, the number of undergraduates attending the seven universities in the county during the 2022-23 school year fell by 10.2%. Bakersfield College reported the largest student body, with 26,873 students.

Graduation rates reveal a significant achievement gap among different ethnicities. While white students graduate at a rate of 62.1%, Black and Hispanic students graduate at a rate of around 40%.

Ethnic Group	% of Total Student Body
Hispanic	67.6%
White	17.2%
Black or African American	5.2%
Asian	4.6%
Multiracial	3.1%
Unknown	1.6%
American Indian or Alaskan Native	0.2%
U.S. nonresident	0.2%