Hispanic and Latino/a Students in Higher Education: Facts and Statistics
Credit: Image Credit: FG Trade Latin / E+ / Getty ImagesData Summary
Hispanic and Latino/a undergraduate students made up 18.4% of the total undergraduate student population in 2025.- There were roughly 308,390 Hispanic and Latino/a graduate students, and they made up around 10% of the total graduate student population.
- 37% of Hispanic and Latino/a students attended public, two-year colleges.
- Hispanic and Latino/a students were more likely to be first-generation college students than any other racial/ethnic group in 2019.
- 67% of Hispanic and Latino/a students attended a federally designated Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI) in 2019-2020.
- Hispanic and Latino/a students accounted for nearly 46% of all undocumented students in higher education.
Nearly 1 in 5 undergraduate students in the U.S. are Hispanic and Latino/a. In this report, we examine their enrollment patterns at postsecondary institutions and explore the number of Hispanic and Latino/a first-generation students and faculty members.
Table of Contents
Hispanic and Latino/a Student Demographics
According to the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center (NSCRC), Hispanic and Latino/a undergraduate students make up 18.4% of the total student population in 2025.
- Public, two-year schools were the most popular institution type among Hispanic and Latino/a students with 37% attending them in 2025.
- 33% of Hispanic and Latino/a students were enrolled in public, four-year schools.
Last academic term, 58% of the Hispanic undergraduate students were women, while 39% of Hispanic undergrads were men.
- Hispanic and Latina women also made up 11% of the total undergraduate population that year.
- Comparatively, Hispanic and Latino men made up 7% of all undergrads in fall 2024.
(Note: NSCRC does not report data on the number of nonbinary and/or trans Hispanic and Latino/a students.)
Hispanic and Latino/a Graduate Student Enrollment
There were roughly 308,390 Hispanic and Latino/a graduate students in 2025, and they made up around 10% of the total graduate student population.
During the previous school year, women made up the overwhelming majority of the total Hispanic and Latino/a graduate student population and have increasingly done so over the last decade.
- About 104,270 Hispanic and Latino/a graduate students (33%) were men in fall 2024; nearly 203,950 (65%) were women.
- Hispanic and Latina women also made up about 6% of the total graduate student population.
Hispanic and Latino men made up 3% of the total graduate student population.
First-Generation Hispanic and Latino/a College Students
According to 2019 data from National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), Hispanic and Latino/a students are more likely to be first-generation college students than any other racial/ethnic group.
- Roughly 51% of Hispanic and Latino/a students in 2019 were the first in their families to attend college.
- In contrast, 28% of white students and 37% of Black students were the first in their families to attend college that year.
Hispanic and Latino/a Students and Family Involvement
- According to NCES, nearly 27% of Hispanic and Latino/a college students lived with their parents as of 2020.
- This was a significantly higher percentage than for Black (13%), Asian (7%), or Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander college students (1%). However, a greater percentage of white students lived with their parents than Hispanic and Latino/a college students (43%).
| Residence While Enrolled | Percentage of Hispanic and Latino/a Students Enrolled |
|---|---|
| On Campus | 12% |
| Off Campus | 19% |
| Living With Parents | 27% |
Hispanic and Latino/a Students and Financial Aid
Hispanic and Latino/a students received fewer grants — both institutional and federal — than the overall average among all races/ethnicities in 2020, according to NCES data. Applying to scholarships specifically for Hispanic and Latino/a students can help close the gap in those figures.
- More than half of Hispanic and Latino/a students (51%) received federal grants.
- Nearly 70% of Hispanic and Latino/a students (67%) received grants of any kind.
- Hispanic and Latino/a students received an average of $8,485 in grants, a little below the total average of $9,280 among all races/ethnicities.
Hispanic and Latino/a Faculty Demographics
According to NCES, Hispanic faculty members made up 6% of all full-time faculty at degree-granting postsecondary institutions in the fall of 2020: 3% were Hispanic men and 3% were Hispanic women.
Did You Know…
What is an HSI?
The federal government recognizes colleges that pay special attention to historically excluded student populations. These schools are called Minority-Serving Institutions (MSIs), and Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs) are a subset of this group.
To be considered an HSI, an institution must have an undergraduate enrollment that is at least 25% Hispanic and Latino/a.
Nearly 70% of Hispanic and Latino/a students (67%) attended HSIs in 2019-2020.
In 2021-2022, there were over 570 HSIs and 401 emerging HSIs serving nearly 1.4 million Hispanic and Latino/a undergraduates.
You can browse HSIs and other campuses committed to college access and success for Hispanic and Latino/a students on the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU) website.
Undocumented Students
There are over 427,000 undocumented students in higher education in the U.S., including Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients.
Hispanic and Latino/a students accounted for nearly 46% of all undocumented students in higher education.
According to the Higher Ed Immigration Portal, 24 states and Washington, D.C., provide in-state tuition to undocumented students living within the state. Of those states, 18 states and the District of Columbia also give undocumented students access to state financial aid.
Each state has its own specific policies on whether funds are limited for DACA students or whether universities are required to provide aid to all learners. The following states provide comprehensive access to state financial aid for undocumented students:
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Washington, D.C.
- Hawaii
- Illinois
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Minnesota
- Nevada
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York
- Oregon
- Rhode Island
- Utah
- Virginia
- Washington
California had the highest number of undocumented students in higher education in 2021: nearly 83,000. Texas came in second with over 59,020 students.