Refers to geographical areas in which people live more than a 30-minute drive to a higher education campus, raising concerns about the effects of college location on educational attainment. Research shows that individuals who reside close to a college are more likely to attend, and that higher education deserts affect some learner populations differently than others.

• A study of a set of high school and college data in Texas, found that Black and Hispanic students and those in low-income families who lived more than 30 miles from a public two-year college were significantly less likely to attend college; while white and Asian students in those same communities were slightly more likely than others in the state to complete four-year degrees.
• According to research by Nicholas Hillman, Black and Hispanic students are more likely than those in other groups to live in a college desert.