The U.S. Census Bureau reported black and Asian women with bachelor’s degrees earn slightly more than White women with similar educational backgrounds.

According to Blacknews.com a college educated white woman earned around $37, 800 in 2003 compared to nearly $43, 700 and $41, 000 for college-educated Asian and black women respectively.

“I was unaware of the fact that black women typically earn more than white women and other minorities,” said junior nursing major Khamila Royal. “This is shocking but also beneficial to my future career in the health profession.”

Black men, however, earn significantly less than other minorities.

A college-educated white male earns about $66,000 a year, according to the Census Bureau. Asians earned more than $52, 000 a year, Hispanics earned $49,000 and black men earn the least with $45, 000 a year.

The Census Bureau did not explain the differences in wages. According to Blacknews.com, economists and sociologists suggest the tendency for blacks to hold more than one job or work more than 40 hours a week as one possible reason for the wage difference. The tendency for black professional women to take time off to have a child and return to the workplace sooner than others is also a factor.

Regardless of race or gender, the average college graduate earns over $51, 000, compared with $28, 000 for someone with only a high school diploma or GED. Men with bachelor’s degrees typically made $63,000 compared with $33,000 for men with just a high school education.

“I’m not at all surprised with the statistics,” said Jimmy Prude, a senior business major at Howard University. “I always knew that college-educated people made more than others and white men with degree’s made basically more money than everybody.”

Prude, however is not so happy with the fact that black men earn less than other minorities.

“That is a major concern of mine seeing as how I am an African American male,” Prude said. “Hopefully the trend in wages will chance within the next 20 years.”