HISPANIC ASSOCIATION OF COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES

Developing a portrait
of HSIs:
A comprehensive examination of HSI
characteristics
Office of Policy Analysis & Information

Note: This is only a draft and not to be distributed

Note: This is a draft and not to be distributed 1

Introduction
The workforce is demanding individuals earn college credentials in order to keep up with the
competitive market. As the economy is slowly recovering from the recession, we are beginning
to see lay-offs for individuals possessing at least high school diploma being replaced by college
graduates. This can be considered a side effect of not having college credentials. Furthermore,
vacancies will become available as 30.8 million of individuals are predicted to retire.1 This is one
example that illustrates the demand for attaining a college degree. The nation will need to
increase efforts for college degree attainment among Latinos2 in order to help because they are
one of the largest-growing minority groups in the nation.
According the United State Census Bureau, over half of the population increase during 2000
(15.2 million) to 2010 (27.3 million) can be attributed the increase in Hispanic populations3.
Hispanics account for 16 percent of the nations population; however, their population in the
South (16%) and West (29%) regions are at or exceed their national population level. Seventyfive percent of all Hispanic reside in eight states (California, Texas, Florida, New York, Illinois,
Arizona, New Jersey, and Colorado).4
As the populations in Hispanics continue to increase, there is also an increase in enrollments at
Institutions of Higher Education (IHEs). The acknowledgement that Hispanics in higher
education are increasing stems from the fact that they constitute 13.6 percentage increase in
college enrollments and 17.9 percent growth in public schools. While these numbers have led to
the recognition of Hispanics being the largest and fastest growing minority group, Latino student
college degree attainment and completion rates continue to stagger below their counterparts
among all college student enrollments.5
Furthermore, 35.1 percent of all Hispanics ages 25 and over have not completed high school.
14.5 percent of all Hispanics obtained a bachelors degree, and only four percent of all Hispanics

1 Recovery: Job Growth and Education Requirements (Georgetown University Center

on Education and the Workforce, 2013)
2 Note: Hispanics and Latinos are used interchangeably in this report.
3 US Census Bureau, The Hispanic Population, 2010
4 HACU Fact Sheet, 2013
5 PEW Hispanic Center (Fry & Lopez) 2011

Note: This is a draft and not to be distributed 2

have a more advanced degree, when compared to their white counterparts (12.5%, 34.5% and
12.5% respectively)6.
The increase in the Latino population has led to rapidly increasing the numbers of Hispanic
Serving Institutions (HSIs) across the nation. HSIs are federally defined by the Higher Education
Act as non-profit, public or private degree granting institutions of higher education with at least
25 percent Hispanic full-time equivalent enrollment7. HSIs are unique in that their designation
stems from enrollment, not historical foundation.
Student enrollment data shows that with 54% of all Latino undergraduates are enrolled at least
full-time at 10.5% of all institutions of higher education8. HSIs are essential to providing access
to Latino students. However, since HSIs are so diverse, they cannot simply be reduced to one
metric. Just as there are unique characteristics of all institutions, there are several characteristics
that comprise HSIs. Some of these characteristics include: sector, degree of urbanization,
enrollment, Carnegie classification, degrees awarded, and geographic location. In particular, the
majority of HSI research is geared towards the undergraduate experience at HSIs. This report
aims to take a closer look at the differences that exist within HSIs and to provide a snapshot of
HSIs during the 2011-12 academic year.

Overview
There is some knowledge of how a Hispanic Serving Institution is defined; however that
awareness is generally based on the federal HSI definition. Little research shows what HSIs truly
are in regard to the students they recruit, enroll, and serve. The report builds upon the current
research and demonstrates how HSIs differ from each other by examining characteristics
(examining academics, financial, overall institutional capacity, etc.) of the 356 HSIs identified
for the 2011-12 academic year.9
HSIs have continued to increase in numbers, from 172 institutions in 1995 to 356 institutions in
2012. These institutions offer undergraduate and graduate degrees among 16 states and Puerto
Rico and enroll 56% of all Latino students.10. HSIs represent 10.5% of all colleges and
6 HACU Fact Sheet, 2013
7 Higher Education Act, Title V, Section 1101
8 HACU Fact Sheet, 2013
9 IPEDS
10 HACU Fact Sheet, 2013

Note: This is a draft and not to be distributed 3

universities, which serves a diverse student body that constitutes 17% of all students in
secondary education. Additionally, there are 250 emerging HSIs that have Hispanic student
enrollments of 10-24.9 percent11.
This growth in the number of HSIs has occurred at both the four-year and two-year levels and in
the public and private-not-for-profit sectors. As more institutions become eligible for the HSI
designation it is important to understand that differences that exists within this group of
institutions.
HSIs are not homogeneous and enroll a diverse student population. The description of HSIs is
not an easy one to create because it involves so many components. Therefore, the first portion of
this report discusses the HSI characteristics, and describes the differences in HSIs at the
institutional level (sector, geographic location, degree of urbanization and accessibility). The
second section looks at the student enrollment and completion data at HSIs based on
race/ethnicity, age and gender. The third section looks at the financial picture of HSIs, through
student financial assistance.
This primer will help shed light on the similarities and differences amongst this group of 356
institutions. The analysis takes an in-depth look at each characteristic to provide readers with a
disaggregated sense of HSIs.

Purpose of the Report

Our research serves to provide a detailed snapshot of how HSIs vary across the United States and
Puerto Rico. It is extremely important that future research continue to capture more detailed
information regarding HSI heterogeneity. The shift in demographics with an increasing Latino
population forces us to understand the differences among HSIs. In an effort to understand HSIs,
policy makers must be able to consider individual characteristics when creating policy and
benchmarking. A one size fits most approach does a disservice to the students and institutions
because it ignores the unique functions and capabilities in producing educational resources and
outcomes for HSIs.
This data analysis was conducted by the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities
(HACU) Office of Policy Analysis and Information using 2011-2012 data from the Integrated
Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS). In cases where certain data was not released by
IPEDS, 2011-2012 data was used on institutional websites were consulted and institutional
websites. Data from 2010-2011 for the financial section was selected because this was the most
recent data for federal funding of HSIs and IHEs. Institutional and student enrollment
characteristics were extracted the most current data during the 2011-2012 academic years.

11 HACU Legislative Agenda, April 2013

Note: This is a draft and not to be distributed 4

The 356 HSIs identified in 2011-2012 have been analyzed according to enrollment, geographic
location, accessibility, programs of study, degree completion, and affordability. In this HSI
primer, we aim to capture a snapshot of HSIs, by examining them not only as an entire group
(HSIs as a whole), but also within various sectors (public vs. private, two-year versus four-year).
The goal of this report is to assist in the understanding that HSIs are more not a homogeneous
group of institutions and are more diverse than on the surface level. These institutions offer a
variety of academic options, and help prepare the majority of Hispanic students for the educated
workforce. This analysis aims to advance awareness about diversity, and provide a foundational
perspective for future research about the uniqueness of the HSI designation.
Disaggregation of the demographics and characteristics of HSIs by sector, gender, and race
reveals HSIs are diverse in nature and so are their student bodies. This analysis helps us to
recognize the value that HSIs contribute to the community as well as the nation. The importance
to disaggregate the data by degree types offered helped us identify the variety of educational
offerings provided to students and which degrees tended to appear more at HSIs. Comparing the
HSIs to all IHEs allowed us to recognize the disparities in funding, degree completion,
enrollments, and accessibility.

History of Hispanic Serving Institutions Designation

The HSIs designation is still relatively new, having come into existence within the last 20 years.
HSIs are a crucial component to helping educate the Latino population. As mentioned before,
HSIs were not created by foundation; their inception began with the increase of Latino students
attending particular institutions. HSIs are interestingly unique and it is important to understand
their unique characteristics and their ability to increase Latino student success in higher
education. By understanding the history and idiosyncratic characteristics of HSIs, it is only then
can an accurate picture be painted about HSIs and their impacts on the Latino community.
The identification of a subset of minority serving institutions known as Hispanic Serving
Institutions (HSIs) was stimulated in the 1980s12. It was this identification at the federal, state,
and institutional levels which kick started the movement for recognition.
In 1988, HACU began the groundwork for forming public policy, education agendas and
representing Hispanics at the nations capital. Their role helped form partnerships which argued
lack of funding prevents these institutions from obtaining resources to educate and serve
Hispanic students.

12 HACU Analysis (Emily Caldern Galdeano, Antonio R. Flores, & John Moder, 2012)

Note: This is a draft and not to be distributed 5

In 1992, the Bush administration recognized HSIs under Title III of the Higher Education Act
(HEA) as accredited, degree-granting public or private non-profit colleges and universities with
more than 25% or more total undergraduate Hispanic full-time equivalent enrollment.
Additionally, Clinton signed an Executive Order on Educational Excellence for Hispanic
Americans in 1994 as an effort to reinforce the Nations ability to increase opportunity and
educational merit for Hispanics13.
The Reauthorization of the HEA in 1998 developed Title V, which established a separate funding
to be allocated for HSIs, amended the definition by adding non-profit and ensured their
students at least 50% of their students could be classified as low-income individuals. Since 1998,
HSIs have continually competed against each other for funding under Title V14. While HACU
and other individuals committed to educational equity have made great strides for increasing
appropriations for Title V, HSIs still remain underfunded and still continue to do more with less.

FIGURE 1: HSIs Pecentage by Sector

4yr Public

4yr
5%Private
20%

48%

2yr Public

28%

2yr Private

Institutional Characteristics of
HSIs15
Sector
Sectors that comprise institutions of higher education are: two year public, two-year private,
four-year public and four-year private. These sectors are important in our analysis because they
are the lens through which we view the data. Figure 1 shows the various sectors represented
within the 356 HSIs.
Size
13 Federal Register, 1994
14 Higher Education Act, Title V
15 IPEDS

Note: This is a draft and not to be distributed 6

The variety in total enrollment amongst HSIs is striking. Although the median total headcount of
all HSIs is 5,722, HSIs range in size from less than 500 students to over 30,000 students. Figure
2 shows the differences in total headcount amongst all HSIs.
FIGURE 2: Total HSI Size by Headcount

Les s than 500

500-1k

1-5k

14

12 18 37

57
25-30k

10-15k

15-20

26

25
20-25k

5-10k

Over 30k

100

67

Student to faculty ratio is an important

characteristic to look at when applying for an institution. For HSIs, the average student to
faculty ratio is 22:1 and median 21:1.

However, it is important to further disaggregate this data by type of institution (2-year versus 4year) to give a more complete picture of HSIs (figures 3 and 4).

Note: This is a draft and not to be distributed 7

FIGURE 4: Four-Year HSI Size by Headcount Enrollment

Les s than 500

8
10-15k

14

500-1k

11
53
15-20

1-5k

25
14
20-25k

25
Over 30k

5-10k

64

25-30k

Note: This is a draft and not to be distributed 8

FIGURE 3: Two-Year HSI Size by Headcount Enrollment

12
12

9
17
Les s than 500

500-1k

1-5k

5-10k

10-15k

15-20

36

20-25k

43
42

Geographic Location
HSIs are heavily concentrated in the Southwest region of the United States. In 2011-2012, almost
75% of all HSIs were located in three states (Texas, California, and New Mexico) and Puerto
Rico. According the 2011 U.S. Census over half (77.6%) the Southwest region is where
Hispanics are most heavily populated.16 However, due to the increasing Latino population
throughout the country there are HSIs emerging in states not normally considered to have large
Latino numbers, such as Indiana, Oregon and Washington. Figure 5 illustrates the percentage of
16 U.S. Census

25-30k

Note: This is a draft and not to be distributed 9

undergraduate students who are Hispanic in each state, along with the numbers of HSIs and
Emerging HSIs.

Note: This is a draft and not to be distributed 10

Note: This is a draft and not to be distributed 11

Degree of Urbanization
TABLE 1: Degrees of Urbanization for All HSIs

HSIs concentration of physical

Urbanization Type
Number of Institutions
Percentage
growth across the nation is
City
186
52.3%
diverse. There are several
Suburbs
95
26.7%
degrees of urbanization as
Rural
35
9.8%
identified in IPEDS (city,
Town
40
11.2%
suburb, rural and town).
Total
356
100.0%
Figure 6 shows how the
majority of two-year public institutions are located proportionately in all urbanization types;
whereas, for two-year private and four-year public institutions, the majority is primarily

concentrated in the city and suburbs. The majority (186) of all HSIs in 2011-2012 were located
in cities, followed by 95 HSIs identified in the suburbs. Table 1 shows the degrees of
urbanization by number and percentage of all HSIs.

Accessibility

Note: This is a draft and not to be distributed 12

HSIs are minority-serving institutions with the mission of providing access to students from wide
ranging backgrounds. The vision of HSIs is still one of access and opportunity. This vision is
important for several reasons, one of which is that HSIs produce an educated workforce which
positively impacts the economy.
HSIs provide greater access and opportunity to higher education. Open admission gives access to
a unique population of students, and provides for some unique challenges HSIs face in educating
and serving their students. In 2011-12, 61.5% of all HSIs had an open admission policy
compared to just 38.3% of all institutions of higher education. This characteristic earmarks
unique quality because it provides students who do not meet minimum requirements the
opportunity to attend college at HSIs. However, the data in this section should be analyzed with
caution because the data cannot conclude that Latino students are attending HSIs because of
open admissions policy or if open admissions provides the capacity to serve the Latino student
population.
When comparing the policies of HSIs to the overall group of four-year private-non-profit
institutions, 25% of four-year HSIs had an open admission policy compared to just 15.5% of all
institutions among this sector. Table 2 describes the differences in open admission at HSIs within
the various sectors.
Open Admissions Policy
Institution Type

Percentag
e

Overall Hispanic-Serving Institutions

61.5%

Overall Institutions of Higher

Education

38.3%

2-Year Hispanic-Serving Institutions

94.0%

2-Year Institutions of Higher Education

92.7%

4-Year Hispanic-Serving Institutions

25.0%

4-Year Institutions of Higher Education

15.5%

Programs of study at HSIs

HSIs serve a diverse student population and they offer a dynamic range of academic options for
all students. The educational and credential offerings at HSIs range from certificates to doctoral
and professional degrees. Just over half (187) of all HSIs are two-year institutions that offer

Note: This is a draft and not to be distributed 13

Associates degrees and certificates. Thirty-six are four-year institutions that offer only
Bachelors degrees and 133 institutions offer graduate programs (Masters, Doctorate, or both).
These degrees include a variety of options, such as: agriculture, engineering, health professions,
education, and visual arts. In this portion of the analysis, we focus on two-year private and twoyear public four-year private and public HSIs because the majority of the research previously
conducted is concentrated on undergraduates. However, our focus on graduate programs stems
from the data that suggests 133 HSIs of 3383 of all Institutions of Higher Education (3.9% of all
IHEs) award 21% of all graduate degrees17.
Two-Year HSIs
The academic options at two-year institutions range from certificates to associates degrees. The
academic domains that are most heavily populated at two year institutions are Business,
Computer Information Sciences and Support Services, Education, and Health Professions and
Related Services.18 Of the 187 two-year HSIs, 95 percent of two-year public HSIs offer STEM
degrees and 94 percent of two year public HSIs offer Business Related Certificates and Degrees.
Four Year HSIs
FIGURE 15: Types of Graduate Degrees Offerred at HSIs
Offer No
Mas ter's degree

1
59
1

35

Offer No
Graduate
Degrees
Mas ter's degree
Only

72

Doctoral degree
only
Offer both M &
D degrees

There is an increasing demand for graduate

degrees. The data provided in Figure 15 portrays the number of HSIs that offer graduate
programs by degree type. The HSIs that offer no masters or doctorates degree are four year
institutions whose highest degree offered is a baccalaureate.

17 HACU OPAI Analysis, 2013

18 As defined by IPED Classification of Instruction Programs (CIP) Codes

Note: This is a draft and not to be distributed 14

Overall, four-year private institutions account for all masters degrees offered (61%) (Figure 16)
compared to four-year public institutions which constitute over half (51%) of all masters and
doctoral degrees offered (Figure 17).

Master's Degree Offered in Business Related Programs by Sector

FIGURE 8: STEM Degrees Offered By Sector
4 Priv
51%

4 Pub
49%

4 Priv
51%

49%

4 Pub

The majority of
graduate programs offered at HSIs are heavily concentrated in Business, Management,
Marketing and related programs, Education, Psychology, and Health Professions and Related
Services19. Of the 133 institutions, 101 institutions (76%) offer degrees in the Sciences,
Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields. While there is a growth in STEM
degrees, Figures 8 and 9 show, 51 percent of four-year public HSIs offer some type of STEM and
Masters Business, Management, Marketing and Related degrees at all HSIs. Conversely, there
are smaller numbers of graduate degree programs being offered in Liberal Arts, Family
Consumer Sciences, and Area, Ethnic, Culture and Gender Studies at both sectors.
The holistic ranges of academic options at HSIs show that the curriculum is diverse. HSIs
embrace the challenge of educating students for a range of professions to better serve and
enhance the student experience.
Overall, four-year private institutions account for all masters degrees offered (61%) (Figure 16)
compared to four-year public institutions which constitute over half (51%) of all masters and
doctoral degrees offered (Figure 17).

19 HACU OPAI Analysis, 2013

Note: This is a draft and not to be distributed 15

17:
HSIs Offering
Master's and Doctoral Degrees By Sector
IGURE 16:HSIs Offering at Least a FIGURE
Master's
Degrees
By Sector

4 Priv

39%
61%

Total Degrees Awarded:

4 Pub

51%

49%

4 Priv
4 Pub

Note: This is a draft and not to be distributed 16

FIGURE 11: 2010-2011 HSI Grand Total of All Degrees Awarded by Sector
URE 12: 2010-2011 HSI Hispanic Total of All Degrees Awarded by Sector

44,359

1,354

4yr Public

559

127,233

4yr Private

69,397

4yr Public

4yr Private

2yr Public
183,387
2yr Private

2yr Public

27,910

55,789

2yr Private

FIGURE 10 :Overall Percentage of All Degrees Awarded at IHEs and HSIs

0.11

Aw
ar
de
d

at
IH

HSIs Percentage

D
eg
re
es

Aw
ar
de
d

of
IH
D
eg
re
es

Pe
ce
nt
ag
e

Pe
rc
en
ta
ge

IHEs Percentage
Es

0.11

at
H
SI
s

88.8%

Es

89.5%

of
H
SI
s

100%
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%

As mentioned previous, attaining a college degree can create stable employment. More
importantly policy makes and stakeholder use degree completion as a benchmark for college
completion targets20. HSIs make up 10.5% of all Institutions of higher education (IHEs).
However, they award degrees above their proportion to all IHEs (11.2%) (Figure 10). The
disproportionate representation of degrees awarded among sectors are shown in figures 11 and
12, which illustrates the four main categories of HSIs and IHEs(four-year public, four-year
private, two-year public, and two-year private). Four-year public institutions at both IHEs and
20 U.S. Department of Education- Meeting the Nations 2020 Goal: State Targets for
Increasing the Number and Percentage of College Graduates with Degrees, 2011
http://www2.ed.gov/policy/highered/guid/secletter/110323insert.pdf

Note: This is a draft and not to be distributed 17

HSIs award the majority of degrees for Hispanic students. While four-year private HSIs award
degrees 4.4 percentage points lower than four-year privates IHEs (19.6%). On the other hand,
two-year private institutions appear to award the least degrees at both sectors.
Additionally, Figures 11 and 12 illustrate the total percentages of degrees awarded to Hispanics
at IHEs and HSIs by degree type. HSIs serve a diverse population of all degrees awarded to at
IHEs, 38.7% are awarded to Hispanics. The data can be further disaggregated to show that

Figure 13: 2010-2011 Degrees Awarded at HSIs

0.08

Doctorate's

0.92

Total of Degrees Awarded at HS Is

0.31

Master's

0.42

Bachelor's

0.69
0.58

0.38 to His panics

0.62at HS Is
Total Degrees Awarded
Associate's

Grand Total

0%

0.39

0.61

20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Hispanics earn 42.3% of all bachelors degrees

and 38.4% of all Associates degrees. Comparatively, IHEs only award 9 percent of all bachelors
degrees to Hispanic students. The small percentages of degrees awarded to Hispanics at IHEs
suggest IHEs are not serving

Note: This is a draft and not to be distributed 18

Figure 14: 2010-2011 Degrees Awarded at IHEs

0.06

Doctorate's

0.94

Total of Degrees Awarded at IHEs

Master's

Bachelor's

0.06

0.94

0.09

0.91

0.13
0.87
Total Degrees
Awarded to His
panics at IHEs
Associate's

Grand Total

0.09

0%

0.91
50%

100%

Hispanic students at the rates of HSIs (Figure 14). Degrees awarded to Hispanics at HSIs are
significantly higher (38.7%) than at IHEs (9.2%). This is triple the proportion of HSIs to all
IHEs, 10.5% respectively. HSIs continue to serve the needs of the students despite the fact that
they receive less federal funding than more selective IHEs. However, HSIs could improve their
numbers greatly if they acquired more resources to do so.

Student Enrollment and Completion Data

Note: This is a draft and not to be distributed 19

FIGURE 18: Enrollment by Race/Ethnicity at all HSIs, 2011-2012

100%
Nonresident
90%
80%
Race/ ethnicity unknown
70%

Two or more races

60%
White
50%

2.4%
4.66%
1.7%

40%

27.1%

30%
Black
20%

Hispanic

Asian
45.1%

10%

10.3%
American Indian or Alaska Native
8.1%
0%

Race/Ethnicity
Enrollment by Race/Ethnicity
HSI institutional composition is diverse. While one of the defining characteristics of an HSI is
the 25% Hispanic student enrollment. The average enrollment of Hispanic students at HSIs is
45.1%. However, HSIs also enroll a diverse student body. Figure 18 shows the overall
percentages of HSI enrollment by Race.
Hispanic student enrollment at HSIs is highest (45.1%), followed by White (27.1%) and Black
(10.3%) students. This trend seems to appear throughout all sectors of HSIs.
It is interesting to note that Hispanic students tend to enroll at private institutions (two and fouryear) at higher rates than at public HSIs. Two-year public HSIs having a Hispanic student
enrollment of 41.9% compared to a Hispanic student enrollment rate of 56.3% at two-year
private institutions. The same holds true at four year institutions. Four-year public HSIs have a
Hispanic student enrollment rate of 46.1% ; whereas, four-year private HSIs have considerably
larger Hispanic student enrollment rate of 62.5%.

Note: This is a draft and not to be distributed 20

Table 3 illustrates the breakdown in racial composition at each sector for HSIs in 2011-2012. As
mentioned previously, two-year public HSIs account for the highest number of HSIs among all
sectors. They are also among the most diverse in enrollment.

TABLE 3: HSI Enrollment by Race/Ethnicity

Sector Type
Hispanic White Black Asian
Four year Public
46.1%
25.2%
9.4%
8.3%
Four-year Private
62.5%
19.3%
8.8%
3.0%
Two-year Public
41.9%
29.2% 11.0% 8.7%
Two-year Private
56.3%
14.9% 17.9% 8.7%

Other
10.9%
6.4%
9.1%
2.1%

HSI student bodies are multi-ethnically inclusive and it is difficult to pigeonhole HSIs as only
serving Hispanic students. As Table 3 shows, HSI student enrollment produces a diverse student
body that makes this group of institutions unique. It is imperative to truly understand what they
are, who they serve, and how they serve all these students. Hispanic serving-institutions are
designated because of the percentage of Latino students they enroll, but they offer access and
opportunity to all students who want to take advantage of the access and opportunity provided to
them.
Enrollment by Gender
Currently, total enrollment (undergraduate and graduate combined) suggests women represent
slightly over half (56.7%) of all students enrolled at HSIs. Where we begin to see a
disproportionate distribution of data is in graduate enrollment. Women make up almost two
thirds (64.0%) of graduate students enrolled at HSIs. According to the National Center for
Education Statistics, female post baccalaureate enrollment has increased over the last decade by
62%, while male college post-baccalaureate enrollments have only moderately increased by 38
%.21 However, the enrollment data points out that males and females overall and at the
undergraduate level do not vary significantly, 43% males and 56% respectively. The largest
variance is among the graduate level where we see females dominating in degree enrollments
(64%) as compared to males (36%). Hispanics (62.5%) attend four-year private institutions at
higher rates when compared to four-year private institutions. A closer look at gender enrollment
is shown in Table 4 and Figure 19.
TABLE 4: HSI Enrollment by Gender
Mal Femal
Enrollment Type
es
es
43.3
21 National Center for Education
2012
HSIs TotalStatistics- Fast Facts Enrollment,
% 56.7%
http://nces.ed.gov/fastfacts/display.asp?id=98
43.8
HSI Total Undergraduates
% 56.2%
HSI Total Graduate
36.0
Students
% 64.0%

Note: This is a draft and not to be distributed 21

FIGURE 20: Degrees Completion by Race/Ethnicity

His panic

As ian

Two or more races

White

1% 0% 1% 1% 4%
8%
American Indian
42%
10%

33%
Race/ethnicity
unknown

Black

Native Hawaiian

Nonres ident alien

Degree completions by
Race/Ethnicity
Hispanics and Whites combined earned over two thirds of all degrees (Associates, Bachelors,
Masters, and Doctorate), awarded at HSIs with 40.6% and 31.3% respectively (Figure 20).

Degree Completion Gender

Since women make up almost two thirds of the population at HSIs, it should come as surprise
that they earn 60.1% and men 40% of all degrees at HSIs.

Note: This is a draft and not to be distributed 22

Figure 9: Percentage of Degree Completion at HSIs by Degree Type

100%
90%
Doctorate

80%
Master's

1.1%
8.5%

70%
60%

34.1%

Percentage of Degree Type 50%

Bachelor's
40%
Associate's

30%

27.4%

20%
Awards of at least 1, but less than 4 academic
years
9.5%

10%

Awards of less than 1 academic year

0%

9.2%

Degree Type

Degree Type
HSIs offer a variety of college degree options for students. Figure 21 shows the share of degree
completions at HSIs by degree type Associates, Bachelors, Masters, Doctorate, etc.) across all
the categories.

Age
In IPEDS students were divided into four age groups: under age 18, ages 18-24, ages 25-39, and
40 and above. Figure 22 shows the student completion breakdown at HSIs by age. Although

Note: This is a draft and not to be distributed 23

traditional students are typically those between ages 18-24, 56.5% of all students at HSIs are
well above this age bracket.
Figure 22: Degree Completions at HSIs By Age Group

Under 18

Ages 18-24

13%0%

Ages 25-39

44%
Ages 40 and above
43%

AFFORDABILITY/FINANCIAL
HSIs are affordable. Students who attend HSIs are more likely to come from low-income homes
and often have extraneous financial responsibilities (rent, family contribution, or work full-time)
that impact their ability to pay for college out-of-pocket. HSIs provide all students the
opportunity to attend college at a lower cost.
Affordability:
In 2011-12, the average in-state tuition and fees at two-year public institutions was $2233.88
and four-year public HSIs was $5373.00. Table 5 depicts the variations in cost among HSIs by
sector.
TABLE 5: Average Tuition and Fees for HSIs by Sector

Note: This is a draft and not to be distributed 24

Two-Year
Public

Tuition and Fees

Two Year
Private

Four-Year
Public

Four-Year
Private

In-State

$2,233.88

$11,821.14

$5,373.00

$13,536.40

Out- of-State

$5,787.13

$11,821.14

$12,892.40

$13,783.23

Pell Eligibility
In order to qualify for Pell Grants, a student must be an undergraduate who has a high unmet
financial need. The maximum award is $5,550 and is based off financial need, cost of attendance,
enrollment status, and attendance for the academic year22. Lastly, Pell grant awards disbursed to
student range hugely ($1,866-$4,073). The difference in the numbers show the characteristics
and diversity among the student body are not homogeneous. In 2010-11, 60% percent of all
undergraduates at HSIs qualified for Pell grant aid (Figure 23).
Figure 24 illustrates that four-year public HSIs have more students who are Pell eligible when
compared to four-year private HSIs. Moreover, 60% of the two year public HSIs student body
qualified Pell grants, while 54% of the two-year private HSIs student body qualified for Pell
grant aid. These results provide evidence that even with less funding HSIs continue to provide
educational equity and access to students. However, we need to acknowledge that HSIs inherit
minimal federal funding per FTE student, enroll larger number of students who are Pell grant
eligible which may impact students degree completion rates.
Figure 25: Pell Eligibility at HSIs and IHEs by Sector Figure 24: Pell Grant Eligibilty at Four-year HSIs
40%60%

100%
80%

63% 37%

Non-Pell Eligible

Pell Eligible

54% 46%
60%

62%

60% Non-Pell Eligible

40%
20%

40%

59%

Pell Eligible

41%

38%

4 yr public

4 yr private

0%
0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

Federal Aid per Full-time Equivalent Enrollment

HSIs receive an average award of $3815 in federal aid23 for every undergraduate student
enrolled at least full-time, compared to their IHE counterparts who receive $5,554.29. The
amount of federal allocations at HSIs based off full-time equivalent varies extremely from
22Federal Student Aid Office of the U.S. Department of Education,
http://studentaid.ed.gov/types/grants-scholarships/pell, 2013

Note: This is a draft and not to be distributed 25

$75.15 to $50,028.22 (Figure 26), compared to all IHEs that can receive a range from $6.39 to
$305, 764.00. In contrast, IHEs receive federal monies for full-time equivalent enrollment
averaging $5554.29.
Total Federal Aid
The Title V program of the Higher Education Act was created in an effort to eliminate
inequitable allocations of federal funding for HSIs. The average amount received at HSIs $24,
424, 649 and IHEs average amount received is $ 24,937,239.The average amount of federal aid
receieved at HSIs and IHEs comparitavely look similar. However, the disaggregated data shows
HSIs receive substantially less than all IHES. The total amount of federal aid HSIs range
from$11,011to $$232,716,367. Interestingly, IHE total amount of federal aid varies significantly
from $2,545 to $1,249,492,000.
Additionally, HSIs only get funded at 66 cents on the dollar for undergraduates enrolled at least
full-time24. The data illustrates, HSIs still continue to be inequitably funded yet they serve large
numbers of students. This funding discrepancy allocated to Hispanic student success creates
more disparity in providing opportunity for college access. In order to fulfill this opportunity, an
increase in resources is needed for continued enhancement of HSI institutional capacity.
With the continued growth of the Latino population it is clear that HSIs will continue to grow
with increasing student enrollment. That growth will be hard to sustain without increased support
at the federal and state level. HSIs are assisting the nation in reaching its higher education goals,
but the financial resources needed to do it effectively are not there for the students with the most
need. Simply put, doing more with less will not continue to work. Funding should take into
consideration the varying student and institutional characteristics that impact an individual HSI.
HSIs serve students with less federal appropriations than other institutions of higher education
and that creates some unique challenges in terms of retention and graduation rates , which
impacts the institutional capacity of HSIs. HSIs play a critical role in American education and
will continue to do so but will need enhanced federal and state support.

METHODOLOGY
Sample

23 This includes grants, contracts, student aid, and other appropriations but
excludes student loans
24 HACU Fact Sheet, 2013

Note: This is a draft and not to be distributed 26

The individual HSI websites are used to recruit and inform future students and parents about the
respective institutions. We obtained degree programs offered at each institution through the
individual websites and course catalogs (June 2013)25.The snapshot encompasses accredited,
degree-granting public or private (two and four-year) non-profit colleges and universities with
more than 25% or more total undergraduate Hispanic full-time equivalent enrollment, as
defined by the Higher Education Act.26 To illustrate the diversity among the degree programs, we
focused on certificate and associate degrees at two year institutions and graduate (masters,
doctorate) degrees at four- year institutions, as outlined in the Carnegie Classification used by
IPEDs.
Limitations
This data analysis was conducted to provide insight and greater understanding of HispanicServing Institutions (HSIs). These institutions are diverse and have a varied context upon which
we can view them. We viewed them in diverse ways, but not in every way possible. The report
includes information about 2-year HSIs both private and public and 4-year HSIs both private and
public. Further, we completed this report using the IPEDS information and that information is
based upon how each individual institution decides to report their institutional data.
Recommendations:
Here are some recommendations we can all help to create, develop, or sustain as we move
forward:

HSIs are often underestimated. As the population of Latinos increase, we found

institutions of higher education (IHEs) are not able to keep up with the growing
population. This is going to be imperative for IHEs to consider because Latinos will be
entering the workforce in large numbers in the upcoming years.

HSIs that offer graduate degrees make up 3.9% of all HSIs, yet they award 21% of all
degrees to Hispanics. On the other hand, IHEs award 9.2% of all graduate degrees to
Hispanics, yet they continue to receive more funding than HSIs. This information
demonstrates the capacity in which HSIs can perform if given resources and the
opportunity.
As previously mentioned, the majority of HSIs are located in the southwest region to
include California, Texas and New Mexico. Further, HSIs located in areas of the country
like Oregon, Washington, and Indiana may have different student characteristics from the

25 Note: data was collected from institutions who had available information posted
on their websites. The data reported only captures information on website and
electronic course catalogs. They may not include all degree program offerings.
26 Higher Education Act, Title V, Section 1101

Note: This is a draft and not to be distributed 27

HSIs in the Southwest region of the United States. In fact, Hispanic student
characteristics across HSIs are not homogeneous. Further research should be done to
disaggregate Hispanic student origins makeup, which may account for even more
variance among the current 356 HSIs.
This report does not include information pertaining to the 250 institutions that are
classified as emerging HSIs. Many of those institutions will become HSIs in the
coming years that will enhance HSI growth and add to the complexity of these
institutions as a whole. Continued research can be done to monitor the growth of
Hispanic-enrolling students, geographic location, degree programs, and degree
completion rates.
HSIs do particularly well in providing degree programs in the STEM, Business, and
Public Administration and Education fields. More research is needed to identify degree
programs where Latino student are underrepresented.
Future research should consider taking a qualitative approach to identify why this trend is
occurring.
Create an equitable funding process that gives HSIs adequate appropriations to serve all
their students but especially those with the most need. HSIs could use these
appropriations to increase their institutional capacity and build towards enhanced
academic support services and other things to ensure student success.
Continue to monitor the HSI landscape and develop a comprehensive and sustainable
plan to maximize the talent and potential of these institutions towards helping our country
meet our higher education goals and stay competitive in a globally connected world.

This data serves as an important step in helping to understand how policy and advocacy
work must continue to support Minority Serving Institutions and HSIs in particular. With
the nations demographics rapidly changing with a growing Latino population, American
education can only remain strong and vibrant if HSIs are thriving and surviving. The
work these institutions do is remarkable considering the shortage of resources they face.

HSIs will continue to grow and the potential they have to enhance American education is
obvious and phenomenal, but continued research, advocacy, and concern must be given
in order for that to happen.

Conclusion
This report puts into context the current realities of Hispanic-serving institutions. The factors
analyzed include; an overview, institutional characteristics, student enrollment and completion
data, and affordability data to better understand the challenges and opportunities of HSIs. There
are clear distinctions among HSIs and that is evidenced when looking at the analysis among the
different type and sectors among HSIs. It is no secret that HSIs enroll and graduate high
percentages of Hispanic students, but as illustrated in the analysis, the student enrollment is

Note: This is a draft and not to be distributed 28

diverse and dynamic among these institutions. It is also important to note that this report was
created without any prior research to use as a foundation basis. Hence, the report is a catalyst for
turning on the light for all to see the realities, challenges, accomplishments, and the
advancement of HSIs. There is more research to be done and a unique challenge will be to
manage the growth as these institutions evolve, grow, and do more. The emerging HSIs prove
growth is coming and higher education will need to shift gears and become more responsive to
all students who enter the workforce. We hope this research will help individuals view Latino
educational attainment as a sense of urgency to improve the efforts, funding, and the unmet the
needs of the work force. Moreover, the data provided in the report can be utilized to examine
HSI characteristics, completion rates, and funding in an effort to improve these rates.
Hispanic-Serving Institutions continue to do more with less to provide an affordable education
with a diverse curriculum and rigorous standards, but they need more resources. The report gives
insight to the make-up of HSIs, student enrollment, completion data, and affordability, all to
build a better understanding that will lead to positive transformation. Moving forward into the
21st century it will take a new level of commitment to equity and excellence to propel HispanicServing institutions and all institutions of higher education forward for the greater good of
America.