In a report released October 7 by the Pew Hispanic Center, nearly 90 percent of Latino young adults said a college education is important for success in life. However, only about 50 percent of respondents said they planned to get a college degree.
What can we take away from the findings of this representative survey? First, let’s put to rest the generalization that Latinos do not value education. The perception that Latinos do not value education continues to perpetuate despite the numerous surveys that show Latino parents and students place a higher value on a college education than other groups.
Second, the survey findings raise a more interesting question: Why is there a gap between the value Latino youth place in education and their individual plans to complete college? When the researchers looked at the responses of young Latino immigrants compared to native-born Latinos, they found similarity in their valuing education, but a large gap in their aspiration for college completion.
Latino immigrants represent about 35 percent of all Latino youths, yet less than 30 percent of young immigrant Latinos responded they intended to get a bachelors degree or higher. In comparison, 60 percent of native-born young Latinos aspired to get a bachelors degree or higher. The native-born rate is similar to the aspirations of the general youth population (60 percent).
