
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.
Framing, Not Blaming: Improving Latino College Transfer in Texas
November 2017
Framing, Not Blaming: Improving Latino College Transfer in Texas expands knowledge about Texas Latino students while providing higher education institutions and policymakers with actionable information to help more Latino students graduate.
Latino Faculty in Postsecondary Education
June 2017
Research suggests that diversity on campus—both student diversity and faculty diversity—benefits all students by providing diverse perspectives and expanding cultural competencies for all students and contributing to the persistence and degree attainment of students of color.
Latino Adult Learners in Higher Education
June 2017
Latinos are a young and fast growing population in education, but there are also opportunities to address the educational attainment of adults. Two-thirds of Latino adults have earned a high school diploma or less. This factsheet provides a snapshot of Latino adults in higher education.
Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM)
June 2017
Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) degrees are a key focus for many communities to address workforce needs. Yet less than 10 percent of STEM degrees and certificates awarded annually are to Latinos. To increase Latino representation in STEM jobs, colleges need to recruit, retain, and graduate more Latino STEM students.
California Policy Options to Accelerate Latino Success in Higher Education
October 2016
To be competitive, California's economy, like the rest of the U.S., requires a greater number of well-educated workers than currently exists. Many activities are underway to improve educational preparation and opportunity for Californians. However, without concerted statewide focus to leverage existing efforts and introduce new strategic initiatives, accelerating California's higher educational attainment and workforce preparation will remain difficult. This brief offers policy recommendations, based on recent research and discussions, to improve the educational attainment of California's workforce, especially Latinos.






