February 11, 2015
New analysis on Hispanic-Serving Institutions: Overview of 20 years of HSIs, 2013-14 list of HSIs, Emerging HSIs, and HSIs with graduate programs
Download HACU Hispanic Higher Education and HSI Fact Sheet (PDF) /HSI List (PDF)/Emerging HSI List (PDF)
In 2013-14, 12 percent of postsecondary institutions known as Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs), enrolled 60 percent of Latino undergraduates. 
As HSIs celebrate 20 years of federal funding, the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU) and Excelencia in Education today release analysis of HSIs in 2013-14.
HACU and Excelencia are committed to informing the work being done to address and improve Latino student success inhttp: higher education. These two national organizations have coalesced to develop a common list of HSIs in the absence of an official annual list of HSIs released by the federal government. The lists follow a methodology that aligns as closely as possible to the definition of HSIs as established in the Higher Education Act.
The following are top highlights from two decades worth of data on HSIs (1994-2014):
Number – 409; HSIs have more than doubled from 189 to 409 institutions.
Enrollment – 1.6 million; Latino undergraduate enrollment at HSIs has grown 230%.
Location – 21; the number of states with HSIs has increased from 13 to 21.
Sector – 206; the largest increase of HSIs was among 4-year institutions (86 to 206).
Size – 5,000; HSIs vary in enrollment from less than 500 students to over 30,000 students. In 2013-14, the median enrollment at HSIs was just over 5,000 students.
Concentrated enrollment – 153; HSIs where at least 50% of the student body is Latino have increased from 97 to 153.
Emerging HSIs – 296; institutions that may soon meet the HSI definition as their Latino enrollment increases. There are 296 institutions located in 29 states and Washington, DC.
Graduate students – 38%; the number of HSIs offering graduate programs has tripled from 52 to 156. In 2013-14, 38% of Latino graduate students were enrolled at an HSI.
“The new figures represent America’s future workforce seen in the 409 Hispanic-Serving Institutions in 21 states and Puerto Rico that are serving the overwhelming majority of the 3 million Hispanic students in college today,” said HACU President and CEO Antonio R. Flores.
HSIs were first recognized at the federal level in the Higher Education Act (1992) and are defined as accredited and degree-granting public or private nonprofit institutions of higher education with 25 percent or more total undergraduate Hispanic full-time equivalent (FTE) student enrollment. This analysis informs what makes these institutions unique and their role in helping Latino students achieve success in higher education.
“Accelerating Latino student success requires better understanding the institutions where students are choosing to enroll,” said Sarita Brown, president of Excelencia in Education. “Today’s release is part of 20 years of data on HSIs we are analyzing in conjunction with institutional practices, policies and leadership that serve students’ academic aspirations and increase degree completion.“
Flores adds, “HSIs remain sorely underfunded and receive on average only 68 cents in federal funding on a per student basis for every dollar going to the rest of higher education.”
On March 23-24, 2015, HSIs from across the nation will convene in Washington, D.C., for HACU’s 20th Capitol Forum on Hispanic higher education.
In 2014, Excelencia in Education launched the HSI Center for Policy & Practice (HSI-CP2) as an online resource for research on policies and proven practices focused on HSIs. To review additional analyses and publications on HSIs, please visit www.EdExcelencia.org/HSI-CP2. Later this year, Excelencia in Education will release an analysis of 20 years of data on HSIs.