New Data Reveals Increase in the Number of Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs) to 571 After Drop Caused by the COVID-19 Pandemic

Contact: media@EdExcelencia.org

Excelencia in Education Releases Updated Lists of Hispanic-Serving Institutions and Other Findings 

Washington, D.C. (March 30, 2023) – Excelencia in Education today announces the release of the newest Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSls) lists. Excelencia has calculated the lists of HSIs for more than 20 years, and this year found 571 institutions met the enrollment definition of an HSI.

The number of HSIs increased above pre-pandemic levels in 2021-22, after falling for the first time in two decades last year (to 559) due to enrollment declines, institutional closings, and consolidation during the pandemic. HSls are defined in federal legislation as having 25% or more undergraduate Hispanic student full-time equivalent (FTE) enrollment. Given how they are defined, the number of HSIs changes every year.

“Enrollment of Latino students is a necessary precursor, but not sufficient to serve our students. We have to deconstruct the ‘S’ in HSIs to ensure colleges are intentionally serving their students,” said Deborah A. Santiago, Co-Founder and CEO of Excelencia in Education.

Excelencia in Education’s mission is to accelerate Latino student success in higher education. We believe institutions must transform to address structural limits and more intentionally serve Latino, and other post-traditional students. To focus on this, Excelencia established the Seal of Excelencia, a national certification for colleges and universities that strive to go beyond enrollment and more intentionally SERVE Latino students in order to become institutions where Latinos thrive.

“And 28 of this year’s HSIs have earned the Seal of Excelencia,” added Santiago.

Important fast facts about HSls in 2021-22 to note:

• HSls represent 19% of colleges but enroll 62% of all Latino undergraduates.
• Combined, HSIs enrolled 1.37 million Latino FTE undergraduate students.
• Almost half (46%) of students at HSIs are Latino.
• Almost 70% of HSls are public and almost 60% are four-year institutions.
• HSls are geographically concentrated — they are located in 28 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico, with the majority in California, Texas, Puerto Rico, and New York.
• Just over 40% (241 of the nation’s 571 HSIs) offered graduate programs.

Beyond HSIs, the number of Emerging HSls (eHSls) — a categorization developed by Excelencia to track colleges approaching the 25% Latino student enrollment threshold — also showed growth (from 393 to 401) and represented another 13% of all institutions.

Excelencia is an independent source of information conducting analysis of HSIs and has released annual lists of HSIs, eHSIs, and HSIs with Graduate Programs (gHSIs) since its founding to provide federal agencies, researchers, funders, and others an up-to-date, credible list of institutions that meet the enrollment criteria for HSIs. Even before Excelencia’s inception, the organization’s co-founders have used national data for 28 years to bring awareness about HSIs as a vital set of institutions enrolling Latino students, and to support those interested in advancing Latino student success.

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About Excelencia in Education
Excelencia in Education accelerates Latino student success in higher education by promoting Latino student achievement, conducting analysis to inform educational policies, advancing institutional practices, and collaborating with those committed and ready to meet the mission. Launched in 2004 in the nation’s capital, Excelencia has established a network of results-oriented educators and policymakers to address the U.S. economy’s needs for a highly educated workforce and engaged civic leaders. For more information, visit: EdExcelencia.org