Approximately 75,000 undocumented students graduate from U.S. high schools each year, according to new research released this week by the Presidents' Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration and the Migration Policy Institute.
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The study, based on 2023 Census Bureau data, estimates that 90,000 undocumented students reach high school graduation age annually, with roughly 83% successfully completing their diplomas. The figure represents a decline from a 2019 estimate of 98,000 graduates, reflecting both methodology changes and decreased youth migration to the U.S. since 2016.
"The educational persistence of undocumented students, despite structural barriers, underscores their resilience," the report states, while warning that these students now face "an increasingly uncertain future" amid Trump administration immigration enforcement efforts.
The research found that undocumented high school students are concentrated in just four states. Texas leads with 12,000 graduates annually, followed by California with 11,000, Florida with 8,000, and New York with 4,000. These four states account for approximately 42% of all undocumented high school graduates nationwide.
Latino students comprise 78% of undocumented high school graduates, totaling about 58,000 students. Asian and Pacific Islander students account for 7,000 graduates, Black students 6,000, and white students 4,000. The top countries of origin are Mexico, Honduras, Guatemala, and El Salvador, which together represent nearly 60% of undocumented graduates.
The report highlights significant challenges facing these students, particularly threats to state tuition equity policies that allow undocumented graduates to access higher education at in-state tuition rates. Between 2001 and January 2025, 25 states and the District of Columbia enacted such policies.
However, Florida rescinded its tuition equity policy in early 2025, and the federal government has successfully challenged similar policies in Texas and Oklahoma. Legal battles continue in Kentucky, Minnesota, Illinois, California, and Virginia. Currently, 22 states and D.C. maintain tuition equity policies.
Research cited in the report demonstrates that these policies significantly impact educational outcomes. Tuition equity policies can increase undocumented students' high school graduation rates by up to eight percentage points, and students in states with such policies are 65% more likely to remain enrolled in school.
"School districts across the country have reported declines in immigrant student attendance due to the Trump administration's mass immigration enforcement and deportation efforts," the report notes, citing Virginia's Fairfax County schools among affected districts.
The study also reveals racial disparities in graduation rates. Nationally, Asian and Pacific Islander students graduate at 93.7%, White students at 89.8%, Latino students at 82.8%, and Black students at 81%. These differences reflect what researchers describe as "intersecting factors" including English proficiency, access to academic support, and systemic inequities.
Nearly all undocumented students graduating today are ineligible for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), which has provided deportation protection and work authorization to thousands of young immigrants. DACA applications require arrival in the U.S. by June 2007—over 18 years ago—effectively excluding current graduates.
The Trump administration has also terminated Temporary Protected Status for Honduras and sought to end protections for Venezuela and Haiti—three of the top 15 countries of origin for undocumented high school graduates. Additionally, 75 countries face restrictions on immigrant visas, and 39 countries are subject to full or partial travel bans.
Dr. Miriam Feldblum, president and CEO of the Presidents' Alliance, called for coordinated action to support these students.
"Addressing the challenges facing undocumented high school graduates will require coordinated action by education leaders, advocates, and communities, as well as significant investment in identifying policy solutions at the state and federal levels," the report concludes.
The study recommends strengthening K-12 educational pathways through expanded bilingual programs, targeted academic advising, and partnerships with organizations supporting undocumented students. At the federal level, researchers urge lawmakers to safeguard DACA and advance legislative solutions providing pathways to citizenship for future generations of undocumented students.
