Hispanic students are one of the fastest-growing populations in higher education, with enrollment numbers almost doubling over the past decade. Although undergraduate student bodies are becoming more diverse, thanks in part to the growing Hispanic representation, graduation rates among Hispanic students continue to trail behind those of their white and Asian peers. In part, Hispanic-serving institutions (HSIs)—schools whose full-time equivalent (FTE) undergraduate student body meets a 25 percent Hispanic FTE threshold—seek to rectify this disparity.
Key Findings
Analyzing graduation rates at higher education institutions five years before and after their designation as HSIs, the data show the following:
- There is an increase in students completing college and obtaining baccalaureate degrees from these HSI-designated institutions across all races and ethnicities, with the largest increases among Asian and Hispanic students (8 percent and 7 percent, respectively).
- Graduation rates among white, Hispanic, Asian, Native American, and nonresident students at HSIs were higher five years after an HSI designation than national average six-year graduation rates at four-year public institutions and for-profit institutions but were lower than rates at nonprofit institutions.
- Black students, however, have higher six-year graduation rates at HSIs than their counterparts at four-year public, for-profit, and nonprofit institutions.
- White, Hispanic, and Black students have lower six-year graduation rates than Asian students. The difference between white students and Black students has remained about the same, while the gap between white students and Hispanic students has decreased by about 2 percentage points. But the gaps between Asian students and Black students and between Asian students and Hispanic students have widened.
Implications
Higher education institutions aim to improve students’ social mobility, but differences in persistence and graduation rates can present economic challenges for students and institutions. Students who attend but do not graduate from college accrue debt that is difficult to repay, hindering economic and social mobility. Because more than half of US states have performance-based funding models, institutions’ funding may be at risk if they do not increase graduation rates and reduce differences in academic achievement.
These findings demonstrate that HSIs have improved six-year graduation rates across the racial and ethnic student identities we studied, but it remains critical to further investigate equitable access and support for Hispanic and Black students to decrease or eventually eliminate persistent differences in academic achievement. Although systemic and structural barriers play a significant role in outcomes, there are opportunities for institutions to assess current student-centered pedagogy and support services.
Institutions could investigate whether all students benefit from institutional resources or whether some benefit more. Additionally, higher education researchers can assess who has access to and who is using high-impact practices and other student-support services, such as tutoring, supplemental instruction, internships, or undergraduate research with faculty mentors. It is well documented that historically underserved students can benefit more from these services, but they are often less likely to participate. To increase participation, administrators could target their recruitment and tailor their support toward Black and Hispanic students. Ultimately, for higher education institutions to truly become “student ready” and help undergraduate students achieve their academic goals, they must establish more tangible support systems that enable students to complete their degrees.
