Schools
How Is Race and Ethnicity Changing in Berkeley Unified?
The racial and ethnic composition of Berkeley Unified's student body continues to shift. Here's a look at the changes in the last decade.
Ten years ago, African American students formed the majority of Berkeley Unified's student body, at just over 35 percent. Today, there are around 1,218 fewer African American students in Berkeley's public schools.
Meanwhile, the number of Asian, white and Latino students has increased, with white students making up the majority at just shy of 33 percent of the district's student body in 2011.
The City of Berkeley as a whole mirrors some of the shifts in the school district, with a decreasing African American population and increasing numbers of Asian and Latino residents. The percentage of white Berkeleyans has remained relatively stable, at around 60 percent.
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In 2000, according to the census, Berkeley was 59 percent white, 14 percent black, and 16 percent Asian. Around 10 percent of the population identified themselves as Hispanic or Latino. Ten years later in 2010, the census showed Berkeley as 60 percent white, 10 percent black, and 19 percent Asian. Just over 15 percent of people in Berkeley identified themselves as Hispanic or Latino.
Public School Enrollment in the Berkeley Unified School District by Race/Ethnicity (Percentage):
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Race/Ethnicity
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
African American/Black
35.3%
33.5%
31.4%
32.3%
30.7%
29.1%
27.7%
25.8%
24.0%
22.3%
Asian American
6.9%
7.0%
7.3%
6.3%
6.7%
7.3%
7.3%
7.1%
7.9%
8.0%
Caucasian/White
29.2%
29.2%
29.3%
28.4%
29.3%
29.6%
30.1%
30.5%
31.7%
32.8%
Filipino
0.6%
0.6%
0.6%
1.3%
0.7%
0.6%
0.6%
0.6%
0.6%
0.6%
Hispanic/Latino
14.4%
15.2%
15.9%
16.5%
16.8%
16.9%
16.5%
16.6%
21.4%
21.5%
Native American/Alaska Native
0.3%
0.2%
0.3%
1.0%
0.2%
0.2%
0.2%
0.3%
0.4%
0.3%
Pacific Islander
0.2%
0.2%
0.2%
0.3%
0.2%
0.3%
0.3%
0.3%
0.2%
0.2%
Multiracial
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
9.1%
10.0%
Data Source: As cited on kidsdata.org, California Department of Education, California Basic Educational Data System (CBEDS).
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