College & Workforce Readiness

New State-Level Latino College-Completion Numbers Released

By Caralee J. Adams — April 15, 2014 2 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

For a snapshot of how Latino students are doing when it comes to finishing college, Excelencia in Education on Tuesday released 53 fact sheets and an online interactive tool showing degree completion in each state, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico.

Officials with Excelencia, an organization that advocates for education attainment for Latinos, hope that the information will provide policymakers with examples of model programs to improve Latino college completion.

“America’s success is intertwined with the educational success of Latinos, and that takes leadership not only in Washington, but in statehouses and communities all across the country,” said U.S. Rep. Rubén Hinojosa, D-Tex., chairman of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus and ranking member of the Subcommittee on Higher Education and Workforce Training in a press release.

In the two years since Washington, D.C.-based Excelencia in Education last released fact sheets, the gap in graduation rates of first-time, full-time Latino and white students has narrowed from 14 percent to 9 percent. Nearly 41 percent of Latino students graduated within 150 percent of program time, compared to 50 percent of all students.

41% of Latino students graduated within 150% of program time for first-time, full-time freshmen, compared to 50% of all students. - See more at: //www.edexcelencia.org/research/college-completion/united-states#sthash.pdA8fcWn.dpuf

41% of Latino students graduated within 150% of program time for first-time, full-time freshmen, compared to 50% of all students. - See more at: //www.edexcelencia.org/research/college-completion/united-states#sthash.pdA8fcWn.dpuf

The U.S. median age for Latinos in the U.S. is 27 compared to 42 for white, non-Hispanics. Overall, Latino youth represent 22 percent of the K-12 public school population and 17 percent of the U.S. population overall, Excelencia in Education reports.

The materials give state-level data on the the Latino population, its K-12 representation, adult educational attainment and equity gaps, top five institutions enrolling and graduating Latinos, and examples of best practices for improvement.

The top five institutions MB graduating Hispanic students with four-year degrees were: Florida International University, University of Phoenix (online), University of Texas El Paso, University of Texas Pan American, and Arizona State University. The top college enrolling the most Latino students was Miami Dade College in Florida.

A version of this news article first appeared in the College Bound blog.