Research and Policy
Since 2004, Excelencia has been the national leader in developing strategic research guided by the experiences and realities of today's Latino and other post-traditional students to inform action by community and institutional leaders and policy makers that facilitates institutional change.
Excelencia uses a Latino lens to bring to the forefront what we know about Latino student success, what works to improve it, and what decision makers can do.
Excelencia in Education’s Policy Priorities: 2025
Now is a pivotal moment for our country, our students, and our institutions of higher education. Higher education remains a key driver of economic growth, civic engagement, and social mobility. For Latino students—and all students—to achieve economic prosperity, institutional, state, and federal policies must center on their realities: their needs, educational pathways, and contributions to the country’s workforce and economy.
Excelencia’s policy agenda advocates for accelerating Latino student success to close gaps in degree attainment based on the current profile of Latinos in higher education. Four policy issues were continually raised among leading institutions committed to supporting Latino student success: 1) workforce, 2) institutional capacity, 3) college affordability, and 4) retention and transfer.
Research Library
Excelencia in Education accelerates Latino student success in higher education by promoting Latino student achievement and informing educational policies with a Latino lens. Since the organization’s founding, Excelencia has been the leading information source on Latinos in higher education, making our research and policy priorities available for the public to inform and compel action on Latino enrollment, completion, and workforce nationally.
Find information on Latinos and education pathways, financial aid, institutional practices, student success, workforce, HSI related research, and more.
Refine your search of Excelencia’s research by using the filters on the right.
Latinas at Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs)
March 2023
This factsheet provides an overview of the Latina population, as well as the college enrollment and educational attainment of Latinas at Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs) — a critical set of institutions enrolling and graduating Latinos in the U.S.
Beyond an HSI Designation: Exploring Strategic Practices for HSI Grant Participation
March 2023
Federal funding has not increased at a high enough rate to match the growth in new Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs). The limited reach of federal funding has raised questions regarding how institutions participate in HSI competitive federal grant programs and the impact these programs have on sustaining institutional practices that facilitate Latino student success. This brief highlights the strategic practices of six HSIs that have participated in HSI STEM and Title V grant programs.
Institutional Resilience in Puerto Rico: A First Look at Efforts by Puerto Rican HSIs
February 2023
Over the last five years, Puerto Rico and its colleges and universities have faced numerous challenges including: fiscal and economic disruptions, demographic shifts, hurricanes and earthquakes, leadership turnover, and the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. This brief highlights institutional resilience efforts at five Puerto Rican Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs).
Beyond Completion: Post-Completion Efforts at Hispanic-Serving Institutions
July 2022
Post-completion success for Latino students is a conscious campus-based conversation that is gaining traction and support. This brief outlines evolving approaches and discussions to better understand post-completion success at seven Hispanic-Serving Institutions.