FACT SHEET
HISPANIC HIGHER EDUCATION AND HSIs

2013

Hispanic Demographics:

• 52.5 million Hispanics in U.S. in 2011, plus an additional 3.7 million in Puerto Rico
• 17% of U.S. population
• 45.5% growth from 2000-2011, largest of all population groups.
• Median age is 27.4 for Hispanics, compared to 36.8 for the population as a whole
• More than 50% of the nation’s Hispanics live in California, Florida and Texas.  Adding New York, Arizona, Illinois, New Jersey, and Colorado accounts for over 75% of all Hispanics
• Hispanic population growth from 2000-2010 has been most rapid in the South and Midwest
• The purchasing power of U.S. Hispanics in 2010 was $1 trillion and is projected to reach $1.5 trillion by 2015
  

Hispanic Academic Attainment:

• 35.1% of Hispanics 25 and over have not completed high school as of 2012, compared to 12.5% of non-Hispanic whites
• 14.5% have a bachelor’s degree and 4% an advanced degree as of 2012, compared to 34.5% and 12.5% for non-Hispanic whites
• 66.6% of Hispanic high school graduates ages 16-24 were enrolled in college in 2011, compared to 67.7% for non-Hispanic whites

Hispanic Higher Education:

• 2.6 million total Hispanics were enrolled in non-profit institutions in 2011-12, including Puerto Rico
• 51.7% (1,270,579) of Hispanic college students attend two-year institutions (compared to 42.9% of all college students)

Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs):

• Defined by the Higher Education Act as non-profit degree-granting institutions with Full-Time Equivalent undergraduate enrollments that are at least 25% Hispanic
• In 2011-12, 356 institutions met the federal enrollment criterion, enrolling 1,480,722 Hispanic Undergraduate and Graduate students in postsecondary (non-profit) schools
• HSIs represent 10.5% of non-profit colleges and universities in the country, yet enroll 17% of all students in postsecondary (non-profit) schools, and serve 56% of all Hispanic students
  
• HSIs receive 66 cents for every dollar going to all other colleges and universities annually, per student, from all federal funding sources
  
• The number of HSIs is rapidly growing, from 137 institutions in 1990 to 172 in 1995, to 230 in 2000, to 253 in 2005 and 356 in 2011

• Of the 356 HSIs in 2011-12, 169 (47.5%) were public two-year institutions, 70 public four-year institutions, 99 private four-year institutions, and 18 private two year institutions

 

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