The number of Pennsylvanians with a college degree grew dramatically over a decade, but gaps -- racial and geographic-- persist.

Those were among the findings of a study released yesterday in Harrisburg by the Education Policy and Leadership Center and The Learning Alliance for Higher Education at the University of Pennsylvania.

"What the analysis reveals is a tale of two Pennsylvanias," the report stated. "There is, to begin with, the Pennsylvania that is better educated, in terms of the proportion as well as the number of residents with associate's, bachelor's and advanced professional degrees than any other time in the commonwealth's history.

"And then there is the story in which, despite a rising tide in educational attainment, the gaps separating the majority and minority populations and rural and urban/suburban Pennsylvanians are as stark today as they were a decade ago."

Ron Cowell, president of the policy center, said the study, which is called "A Rising Tide," is the first step in working toward improving higher education opportunities. The next step will be an invitational symposium on May 31.

The study shows that 434,885 more Pennsylvanians age 25 or older were college-educated in 2000 than in 1990. That's a 30 percent increase even though the population went up just 5 percent.

All demographic groups studied -- whites, blacks, Hispanics and Asians -- showed increases in educational attainment. However, of 18- to 24-year-olds, just 22 percent of Hispanic and 27 percent of black adults in that category were enrolled in college, compared to 40 percent of whites and 65 percent of Asians.

The study showed that the black students who do choose higher education are far more likely to go to a community college than white students are. Although Hispanics enrolled in four-year colleges at a lower rate than whites, a greater portion of them chose elite schools than whites and blacks did.

Asians had the highest percentages in top colleges and universities in the state and were the most likely to enroll in a four-year school.

In rural areas where fewer high school graduates plan to go on to higher education, there often are not nearby choices, such as a community college.

"The absence of access to a community college, combined with relatively poor performing high schools, between those two, you're got a significant deterrent to going on to higher education," said Mr. Cowell.

Of high school graduates, 75 percent in the Greater Pittsburgh region planned to go on to college as did 81 percent in Greater Philadelphia and 78 percent in the Lehigh Valley.

But in the central part of the state, the figure was 63 percent and in the northwest, it was 67 percent.

One barrier for some students is cost. A survey done for this study showed that 8 percent of high school graduates ages 18 to 34 said they couldn't afford to go on to higher education. In addition, 24 percent of those who attended and dropped out cited cost as a main reason.

Those who went on to college were more likely to say location and availability of a specific major were more important than cost.

Robert Zemsky, professor and chair of The Learning Alliance, concluded, "The role of costs in limiting college enrollment has been greatly exaggerated."

The study also identified some other patterns:

Higher unemployment rates result in increased college enrollment.

Poor quality primary and secondary education is a barrier to students being able to go on to higher education.

Students in communities with lower family incomes are less likely to attend college.

The report is available on the Internet at www.eplc.org and www.thelearningalliance.info.