BloomTech Learner Diversity²`³
Race of BloomTech Learners
According to numbers from the 2019 U.S. Census, about 36 percent of the U.S. population self-identifies as a race or ethnicity that is underrepresented⁴ in the technology sector. At 32.5 percent, BloomTech’s learner population roughly mirrors national demographics and is significantly more diverse than the technology industry.
In 2020, people of color were disproportionately impacted by the health-related and economic impacts of the pandemic and recession. BloomTech also saw uneven impacts on our learner community: Enrollment of learners of underrepresented races fell 3.5 percent from 2020 to 2021. Further, we saw inequities in graduation and placement rates for some BloomTech learners. These insights will guide our efforts to not only increase diversity but provide the resources and support to help all learners succeed.
Learner Representation by Race⁵
Learner Outcomes by Race⁶
Graduation Rate by Race
Graduation rate for each race is calculated by dividing the number of learners who graduated as of the Reporting Date for BloomTech’s 2020 Outcomes Report⁷ by the number of Starting Learners⁸ whose Original Expected Graduation Date fell in 2020. Certain groups have been excluded due to small population sizes.
Placement Rate by Race
Placement rate for each race is calculated by dividing the number of Placed Learners⁹ by the number of learners who graduated in 2020. Certain groups have been excluded due to small population sizes.
Gender Identity of BloomTech Learners
Unlike most other educational organizations and the tech sector at large, we collect gender identity data beyond the male/female binary. Our learners self select how they identify along the gender spectrum. Just over 6 percent of BloomTech learners identify as non-binary, gender queer, gender fluid, transgender, or more than one gender.
Pre-pandemic, our learner community was disproportionately male. The share of female learners dropped further in 2021, to 20 percent. These data mirror troubling trends of the pandemic, when roughly 2 million women left the workforce or scaled back their professional efforts.
We are concerned about gender representation and are working for greater gender equity in BloomTech and beyond. Improvement begins with data and transparency, so we are sharing not only statistics on the gender identity of BloomTech learners but also the outcomes of learners by gender.
Learner Representation by Gender Identity (of those reporting)¹⁰
Learner Outcomes by Gender¹¹
Graduation Rate by Gender
Graduation rate for each gender category is calculated by dividing the number of learners who graduated as of the Reporting Date for BloomTech’s 2020 Outcomes Report¹² by the number of Starting Learners¹³ whose Original Expected Graduation Date fell in 2020. Due to small population sizes, non-binary, gender queer, or gender fluid, transgender, and two or more have been combined into the “Other” category.
Placement Rate by Gender
Placement rate for each gender category is calculated by dividing the number of Placed Learners¹⁴ by the number of learners who graduated in 2020. Due to small population sizes, non-binary, gender queer, or gender fluid, transgender, and two or more have been combined into the “Other” category.
Previous Education Level of BloomTech Learners
Nationwide data from 2020 show decreased enrollment in four-year colleges, with steepest declines among Black and African American students. We believe that the pressures of the pandemic, including layoffs, underemployment, and loss of caregiving support, have lessened the feasibility of completing a four-year college degree on time for many people.
Our data reveal that an increasing proportion of BloomTech learners are turning to our model as an alternative to traditional education. 54.7 percent of our learners in 2020 had not earned a four-year degree. We believe this demonstrates that learners increasingly see our streamlined model as a more direct, and more attainable, route to a tech job.
Learner Representation by PREVIOUS EDUCATION (of those reporting)¹⁵
Previous Salary of BloomTech Learners
When analyzing the previous income of BloomTech learners, we found that a greater proportion of learners in 2021 earned no income before enrolling. This result was not surprising, given the pandemic-related spike in unemployment rates in 2020 and 2021.
We also found that the proportion of our learners who previously earned less than $50,000 annually stayed relatively flat, compared to 2020 data. Of our 2021 learners, 81.4 percent previously earned less than $50,000, compared to 80.3 percent in 2020.
Learner Representation by Previous Salary (of those reporting)¹⁶
Previous Salary Type of BloomTech Learners
Overall, the composition of previous salary type among our learners has not changed greatly since 2020. The number of people who formerly earned an hourly wage increased slightly, to 63 percent, and those who were salaried decreased slightly, to 27.1 percent.
Surprisingly, the number of learners who were previously unemployed increased only by about one percent. This near-flat rate stood out to us because national unemployment rates skyrocketed at the beginning of the pandemic.
Learner Representation by Previous Salary TYPE (of those reporting)¹⁷
Age of BloomTech Learners
The median age of BloomTech learners decreased in 2021, to 29. A much greater proportion of our learners are 35 or younger than in 2020.
In contrast, the average age for a full-time student enrolled in a four-year college was 21.8. The difference suggests that BloomTech provides a route to a professional career for adult learners. BloomTech also helps learners who want to transition careers, without the time and financial commitment of a four-year degree.
Learner Representation by AGE (of those reporting)¹⁸
Sexual Orientation of BloomTech Learners
The proportion of our learners who identify as LGBTQIA+ slightly decreased between 2020 and 2021, to 12.6 percent. While sexual orientation is not accounted for in the U.S. Census, an estimated 4.5 percent of adults in the US identify as LGBTQIA+. That estimate means that the proportion of BloomTech learners who identify as LGBTQIA+ is nearly three times higher than estimated national averages.
Learner Representation by Sexual Orientation (of those reporting)¹⁹