From left) Daniela Lebron, 18; Jennifer Lopez, 17; Klea Kalia, 21; and Yasmin Butt, 21, attend an event at Barnard College in New York City for Latino, first-generation and low-income students interested in studying abroad.
Credit: Hansi Lo Wang/NPR

The youngest generation in the U.S. is entering adulthood as the country’s most racially and ethnically diverse generation and is on its way to becoming the best educated generation yet, according to a Pew Research Center report released Thursday.

While there is no agreement so far on what to call these young people born after 1996 — some say Generation Z, others iGen — researchers say there are demographic trends that separate them from millennials, who were once also heralded for their broad racial and ethnic makeup.

The researchers analyzed post-millennials who are currently between the ages of 6 and 21. They found nearly half — 48 percent — are from communities of color.

A “bare majority,” the report […]