It’s been a little over 20 years since the federal government first recognized the “Hispanic-serving institution” distinction, prompting Excelencia in Education and the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities to release an analysis of the latest academic year and highlights from the past two decades Wednesday.
According to a news release, HSIs have more than doubled — from 189 institutions in 1994 to 409. Latino enrollment at these colleges and universities has grown 230 percent to to 1.6 million — a 230 percent increase.
Other highlights include:
- The number of states with HSIs has increased from 13 to 21.
- There were 86 HSIs 20 years ago. Led largely by four-year institutions, that number has increased to 206.
- HSIs vary in enrollment from less than 500 students to more than 30,000. In 2013-14, the median enrollment at HSIs was just over 5,000 students.
- HSIs where at least 50 percent of the student population is Latino have increased from 97 to 153.
- There are 296 emerging HSIs — institutions that may soon meet the Latino enrollment requirement to be designated an HSI – in 29 states and the District of Columbia.
- The number of HSIs offering graduate programs has tripled from 52 to 156. In 2013-14, nearly 40 percent of Latino graduate students were enrolled at an HSI.
HSIs are defined by Latino enrollment numbers, not institutional mission. The Department of Education defines them as an institutions of higher education with an enrollment of undergraduate full-time equivalent students that is at least 25 percent Hispanic.
In 2013-14, almost half of HSIs were community colleges, while the majority were four-year colleges and universities, according to information on Excelencia’s website. Among four-year institutions, the majority of were private.
Excelencia in Education expects to release a full analysis of the last 20 years in HSI history later this year. A list of HSIs can be found on HACU’s website.
Source: Excelencia in Education
