Higher education as a human right: Comparing early college approaches to university access for racial minority students in Costa Rica and the United States

Despite the United Nations emphasis on Education as a human right for all world citizens, access to higher education by students representing traditionally marginalized racial minority groups, particularly those of African descent, continue to be a challenge in many nations. In Costa Rica and the United States, early college high schools represent one approach to facilitating college going and retention rates of racial minority students by enhancing college readiness skills and dispositions. Demographic profiles of African Americans and Afro-Costaricans, as well as an overview of the educational systems in both countries, provide an important backdrop to the comparative description of early college high schools. Strengths and challenges of each approach are presented. Emerging concerns also are outlined for further research on the demographic reporting of Afro-Costaricans as well as the need for further studies on the role of early college high schools in enhancing university access and college success in various nations.