How Closely Do Mississippi’s RN Graduates Reflect the State’s Diversity? This chart compares the racial and ethnic composition of Mississippi’s general population with that of its RN graduates of pre-licensure nursing education programs from 2011 to 2017. 2011 2017 Nursing school graduates General population White 76.9% 57.8% 72.0% 56.7% Black or African American 19.8% 37.0% 23.6% 37.4% Hispanic or Latino 0.9% 2.8% 1.3% 3.2% Asian 0.7% 1.1% Two or more races 0.2% 1.0% American Indian or Alaskan Native 0.5% 0.3% Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander 0.1% 0.03% 0.04% Non-U.S. residents and unknown ethnicities excluded, so percentages may not total 100.