Blacks Making Progress in Nursing School Enrollments

The U.S. Department of Labor predicts that the demand for nurses will grow substantially over the next decade due to an aging population and an increased need for healthcare services. This will worsen what is already an acute shortage of nursing professionals in some areas.

Data from the U.S. Department of Education shows that in 2006 there were 18,000 African Americans enrolled in bachelor’s degree programs in nursing. They made up 12 percent of all undergraduate nursing students. This is a marked improvement since 1990. At that time there were 6,862 blacks enrolled in undergraduate nursing programs. They made up 9.9 percent of all nursing students.

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