Black women become most educated group in US

Black women are now the most educated group in US, according to the National Center for Education Statistics.

Between 2009 and 2010, black women earned 68 per cent of associate's degrees, 66 per cent of bachelor's degrees, 71 per cent of master's degrees and 65 per cent of all doctorate degrees awarded to black students.

The percentage of black students attending college has increased from 10 per cent to 15 per cent from 1976 to 2012, while the percentage of white students fell from 84 to 60 per cent.

By both race and gender, a higher percentage of black women (9.7 per cent) is enrolled in college than any other group, including Asian women (8.7 per cent), white women (7.1 per cent) and white men (6.1 per cent).

However, a recent study found black women make up just 8 per cent of private sector jobs and 1.5 per cent of leadership roles.

When it comes to the public sector, a quarter of state legislators are women, but less than a quarter of those are women of colour.

Catalyst found in 2014 that Asian, black, and Hispanic women make up 17 per cent of workers in S&P 500 companies, but fewer than four per cent of executive officials and managers.

The same groups also make up fewer than three per cent of Fortune 500 company board directors.