In a report documenting the comparatively low rates of Latino college completion in California, a Los Angeles-based college access and completion advocacy group recommends adopting state policies aimed at increasing college degree attainment among California Latinos.
Released Tuesday by the Campaign for College Opportunity organization, “The State of Latinos in Higher Education in California” report contends that such policies are needed “if the California economy is to have the college-educated workforce it needs.”
Currently, Latinos make up 38 percent of California’s population and are estimated to reach 50 percent just after 2050. However, only 11 percent of Latino adults have earned at least a bachelor’s degree, compared to 39 percent of Whites, according to the report.
“[Californians] must find ways to significantly improve college completion rates among Latinos,” states the report, which is the first in a series that will address other California state higher education issues such as African-American degree attainment. “There is no other reasonable solution given the population dynamics of California today.”
Michele Siqueiros, the Campaign for College Opportunity executive director, said Tuesday that the report acknowledges both good and bad news about California Latinos and higher education. The good news is that “there’s record numbers of Latinos that are graduating from high school and going to college, surpassing all ethnic groups [in 2012], according to research by the Pew Hispanic Trend Project,” noted Siqueiros during a webinar event she moderated that highlighted the report.
“And surveys continue to confirm that Latinos have very high aspirations,” she continued. “Latino parents are very supportive of their children getting a college education. In fact, 92 percent of them believe that a college education is very important.”
