Hispanic Educational Participation
Although it often entails hardships, by and large Hispanic families have embraced the opportunity to educate their children. While Hispanics were among the least educated groups in the U.S. at the turn of the century, today Hispanics represent the second largest group of students in public schools. Of the 49.4 million students enrolled in public elementary and secondary schools in the Fall of 2021, 14.1 million were Hispanic. While enrollment of non-Hispanic students was decreasing, Hispanic enrollment increased from 23 to 28 percent between the Fall 2010 and Fall 2021. Increases were reported in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. It is projected that Hispanics will be 30 percent of public school students by the Fall of 2031.
More than any other racial/ethnic group, Hispanics attend public schools in which minority schoolchildren are a vast majority of the student body. In Fall 2021, 61 percent of Hispanic students attended public schools in which minority students were at least 75 percent of the total enrollment. However, only 31 percent of Hispanics were enrolled in public schools in which 75 percent or more of the student body was Hispanic, while 21 percent were enrolled in schools in which less than 25 percent of the students were Hispanic. In Fall 2021, the percentage of students who attended high-poverty schools (defined by participation in the National School Lunch Program that provides eligible students with free or reduced-price lunch) was highest for Hispanic students (38 percent) among all other racial/ethnic student populations.
The rising educational level of recently arrived Hispanic immigrants is likely to be a factor that contributes to the increased school enrollment of Hispanic youth. As of 2021, 27 percent of recent Hispanic immigrants, ages 25 and older, have earned at least a bachelor’s degree in the U.S. or elsewhere – up from 11 percent in 2000. Ample research has demonstrated that parents’ educational levels strongly influence educational and economic opportunities for their children. Parents with greater personal commitment to education serve as role models establishing a home environment that enhances their children’s regard for learning, positive ability beliefs, and work orientation. As a reminder, school attendance is an eligibility requirement for DACA recipients.
Pre-College Experience
Despite the shared enthusiasm in the Hispanic community for securing an education, academic achievement among Hispanic high school students is an enduring problem. As a group, Hispanics’ academic achievement and educational attainment falls behind non-Hispanic students largely because they begin school significantly behind their peers. For example, Hispanics are the least likely of all subgroups to attend preschool. Compared to 53 percent of White children, only 40 percent of Hispanic children participate in pre-school education programs.
Rather than intellectual shortcomings, non-academic barriers stemming from sociocultural issues undermine the school success of Hispanic students. Besides the fact that English is their second language, many Hispanic students lack the appropriate social resources enjoyed by non-Hispanic students. For instance, Hispanic parents frequently are unaware about the U.S. education system and have negligible relationships with teachers, thus limiting the academic accomplishments of their children. Further, few adult continuing education courses are available, thus making it difficult for many Hispanic adults to further their education. The result of these disadvantages is that Hispanics have the lowest rates of high school degree attainment. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, the percentage of 25- to 29-year-olds who had completed at least high school in 2022 was lowest among Hispanics compared to all other racial/ethnic groups.
Public schools located in neighborhoods with substantial Hispanic populations often lack the means to address these issues. Hispanics often are the most under-served students in U.S. school systems. American schools are unlikely to be equipped to provide the support required to start Hispanic children on the road to successful lives. Many teachers have not received appropriate training in how to work successfully with students learning to speak English, how to correctly identify students’ abilities and academic needs, and how to communicate with their parents. For example, Advanced Placement (AP) and International Baccalaureate (IB) classes are important components of college preparatory programs. Research in New Jersey revealed that only 23 percent of Hispanic students took an AP or IB course, whereas 41 percent of white students and 68 percent of Asian students took those courses.
Most importantly, schools serving predominantly Hispanic students rarely have culturally competent personnel with relevant experience in working with this ethnic population. Greater resources must be devoted by U.S. school systems to offer appropriate support to Hispanic children. Hiring and retaining more Hispanic teachers would be an important and effective source of support. Schools and districts that are most successful in helping newcomer students become self-sufficient, successful learners have strong school leaders and a commitment to knowing and understanding newcomer students and their families. Latinos for Education (LOE) is an organization dedicated to upgrading the pedagogical and leadership skills of the small percentage of Hispanic teachers in U.S. public education. Because many Hispanic educators leave the profession before they acquire appropriate teaching ability, LOE offers training that provides the tools to develop and maintain the skills needed to serve Hispanic students.
Because the infectious nature of COVID-19 caused most public schools to introduce virtual classrooms conducted with online lessons, millions of Hispanic students found themselves at an academic disadvantage. The two essential elements for online learning, high-speed home internet service and a computer, frequently were unavailable in millions of low-income households, notably the homes of students of color. The disparity in the availability of required technology between many Hispanics and children in higher socio-economic families is a matter of longstanding concern referred to as the digital divide. Students attempting to do homework without a reliable Internet source at home frequently are unable to complete their assignments, thereby creating a “homework gap.” Faced with these circumstances, Hispanic students often search for free Wi-Fi access in local libraries or commercial parking areas.
Due to all these complications, it is not surprising that Hispanics lagged all other racial/ethnic groups in terms of high school completion in 2021. Hispanic students, particularly the children of immigrants, underachieve and have a higher risk of dropping out of high school than non-Hispanic students. The dropout rate for 16- to 24-year-old Hispanics in 2021 was 7.8 percent, higher than all ethnic groups other than American Indian/Alaska Natives. In school year 2019–20, the graduation rate for Hispanic studentswas 83 percent, which was higher than Black (81 percent), and American Indian/Alaska Native (75 percent) students.
Finally, advancement to college is affected by the nature of the courses that high school students complete. Typically. Hispanic students across the country are more likely to pursue general education courses rather than college preparatory classes. For example, in California schools in 2019, 44 percent of Hispanic students took Advanced Placement classes, while 55 and 75 percent of White and Asian students, respectively, completed these courses. Because they often have unequal access to advanced coursework, Hispanics are deprived of vital learning opportunities that can increase their chances for college admission. Obviously, more intensive and focused counseling of Hispanic students is required. Unfortunately, the shortage of Hispanic counselors throughout the U.S. portends that stronger-impact same-ethnicity college advisement is less available to Hispanic students.
College and Beyond Experience
Hispanics have long recognized the importance of trying to earn a college diploma. In 2020, the immediate college enrollment rate for Hispanic high school completers was 60 percent. By comparison, the rates for Asian (86 percent) and White (67 percent) students were higher. The number of Hispanic people ages 18 to 24 enrolled in college doubled from 1.2 million in 2005 to 2.4 million in 2021. Despite growing enrollment, only a relatively small percentage of young Hispanics are enrolled in college or have obtained a bachelor’s degree. In 2021, only 32 percent were enrolled at least part time in college, a similar share to Black Americans (33 percent). White (37 percent) and Asian (58 percent) adults of the same age were more likely to be pursuing a college degree.
The path to completion of a degree is far more challenging for Hispanics than non-Hispanics. The percentage of Hispanics age 25 and over who had attained a bachelor’s degree or higher in 2022 was 20.9, the lowest figure for all racial/ethnic populations reported. Whites had a completion rate of 41.8. percent. U.S.-born Hispanics in 2021 were more likely to have some college or completed a 4-year degree than those who were foreign-born. This disparity can be attributed to the fact that foreign-born Hispanics are more likely to have to deal with cultural differences, citizenship issues, language difficulties and discrimination Hispanics often are confronted by hindrances to enrolling and succeeding in postsecondary education. For example, they frequently lack information pertaining to college opportunities and how to apply for them. As a result, many mistakenly enroll in costly predatory for-profit colleges from which they often fail to complete a degree.
Also troubling is the fact that many Hispanic students feel out of place and/or ignored on a college campus. In fall 2020, of all full-time faculty at degree-granting postsecondary institutions, a mere 3 percent each were Hispanic males and Hispanic females. As a group, only American Indian/Alaska Native individuals had less representation. By contrast, White males and White females had 39 and 35 percent representation, respectively. “As they navigate challenges such as the bureaucracy of higher education and paying tuition in an environment where so few teachers, administrators and students look like them, many Latino students say they are worried higher education institutions are happily taking their money without making sure their specific needs are being met.” Unfortunately, most schools do not have the resources to correct these inequalities, including the time to establish more significant mentoring relationships with their Hispanic students.
Perhaps most importantly, Hispanic students often face many financial hurdles. Financial considerations are a key reason why Americans overall do not complete a four-year degree, and this is particularly true for Hispanics. Concerns about the affordability of attending college begin with the overall cost of school, scarcity of dependable transportation, or a reluctance to borrow the funds to finance all or part of their education. Strong trepidations about protecting their families and difficulties paying back student loans make debt aversion among Hispanics more likely than among non-Hispanics.
Paying for college has caused many students to accept employment, either on a full- or part-time basis. In 2020, the percentage of full-time undergraduates who were employed was higher for Hispanic (43 percent) and White (42 percent) students than for Black (33 percent) and Asian (28 percent) students. The percentage of part-time undergraduates who were employed was higher for White (78 percent) and Hispanic (74 percent) students than for Black (70 percent) and Asian (56 percent) students. More granular data from 2021 on employment of full-time students reveal that a larger percentage of Hispanic students worked longer hours per week—i.e., greater than 20 hours—than any other ethnic group. With respect to part-time students, only a slightly higher percentage of Asian students (23.3%) worked 20 – 34 hours per week than Hispanics (21.3%). For work schedules of 35 or more hours per week, only a higher percentage of White part-time students (49.3%) was greater than Hispanic students (46.8%). Taken together, the research indicates that Hispanic students devote greater time to employment in order to be able to afford a college education.
Despite these well documented issues, college enrollment figures during various 21st century time periods reveal an increasing overall number of Hispanic students. In 2016, 3.4 million, or 18.2 percent of U.S. undergraduate college students, were Hispanic. By 2021, approximately 3.7 million, or 20.6 percent of the undergraduate population, were Hispanic. Hispanics were the second largest ethnic group enrolled at the undergraduate level in both years. Hispanic enrollment in higher education is expected to exceed 4 million students by 2026, far surpassing the growth rate of any other racial/ethnic group. Importantly, progress in educational attainment is key to the rapid development of the U.S. Hispanic economy.
Because the average sticker price for in-state public schools is about one-quarter of that which is charged by private colleges, public universities have always served as the main gateway to higher education for Hispanic students. In 2021, 80.4 percent were enrolled in public institutions compared with 19.6 percent in private schools. These students are more likely to be enrolled part-time rather than full-time. The public institutions attended were more likely to be open-access and community colleges rather than four-year institutions. Out of all associate degrees awarded in 2021, Hispanics earned 26.8 percent. Among first-generation college students, Hispanics are the largest of any racial/ethnic group. And, 44 percent of Hispanic post-secondary students were the first in their family to attend college in the 2015–16 academic year.
COVID-19 interrupted the steady increase in Hispanic students applying for and attending colleges and universities. Financial pressures during the pandemic-related economic downturn caused employment dislocations in many Hispanic families. Often it became necessary for college-age children to choose between their education and helping their families weather the recession. Applications for both college admission and financial aid fell below pre-pandemic levels.
The growth of advanced degree attainment has been greater among Hispanics than any other racial or ethnic group, primarily driven by Latina students. Between 2000 and 2021, Hispanics earning a graduate degree increased from 700,000 to over 2.5 million. As of 2021, graduate degrees were held by approximately 290,000 more Latinas than Latinos. Seven percent of Hispanics ages 25 and older held a graduate degree, an increase from 4 percent in 2000. By comparison, 14 percent of all Americans ages 25 and above had earned a graduate degree. Generally, a master’s degree is the highest level of graduate education attained by Hispanics. According to the National Science Foundation, between 2011 and 2019 social sciences and psychology were the top two master’s fields earned by Hispanics. The number of science and engineering master’s degrees earned by Hispanics increased more than any other racial or ethnic group, and the Hispanic share of total science and engineering master’s degrees increased from 8 to 11 percent.
Over a 40-year working career, the wage premium shortchanges Latinas with graduate degrees by close to $2.5 million compared to white, non-Hispanic men with comparable educational credentials. Latinas must earn at least a master’s degree to be paid more than white, non-Hispanic men who have just an associate’s degree.