Enrollment in higher education institutions has increased among Latinx students and the number of Hispanic-serving institutions (HSIs) continues to grow, new research says.
Excelencia in Education, an organization focused on Latinx students’ success, has conducted and released an annual analysis focused on HSIs and emerging HSIs over the last 15 years. HSIs are defined as institutions where Hispanic students comprise a minimum of 25% of all enrollment, according to the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities.
“We want to make sure that we are investing in the education of this young, fast-growing population and knowing where they enroll and their patterns of success should matter to all of us,” said Deborah Santiago, co-founder and chief executive officer of Excelencia. “It affects our institutions, our communities and our economy.”
In the last year, Latinx student enrollment has increased from 1.3 million to 1,442,110, according to the research.
Santiago predicted the increase stemmed from the Latinx population continuing to grow and mature in the U.S. Additionally, the population has become more college ready and values higher education, and institutions are now recognizing that they should be proactively reaching out to Latinx students.
She added that institutions should question whether they are an HSI because of demography and geography or intentionality and impact.
Over the last 10 years, the number of HSIs has grown from 280 to 539, a 93% growth rate. Of all of the HSIs, 54% are four-year institutions and 69% are public institutions, the research said.
