Hispanic-Serving Institution

University of Houston–Downtown

A Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI) is defined in U.S. federal law as an accredited, degree-granting, public or private nonprofit institution of higher education with 25% or higher total undergraduate Hispanic or Latino full-time equivalent (FTE) student enrollment.^[1][2] In the 2021–22 academic year, 572 institutions met the federal criteria,^[3] up from 539 institutions in the 2018–19 academic year.^[4]

Background

According to Title III of the Higher Education Act of 1965, in order for an HSI to receive federal funding it must satisfy the following criteria:^[5]

• Have a least 25 percent Hispanic or Latino undergraduate full-time equivalent student enrollment.^[6]
• Must be an eligible public or private non-profit institution of higher education
• Must offer at least two-year academic programs that lead to a degree
• Must be accredited by an agency or association recognized by the Department of Education
• Must have high enrollment of students in need

The Department of Education offers grants to institutions defined as HSIs which can be used for many academic purposes serving all ethnicities at the institution including faculty development, funds and administrative management, development and improvement of academic programs, endowment funds, curriculum development, scientific or laboratory equipment for teaching, renovation of instructional facilities, joint use of facilities, academic tutoring, counseling programs and student support services.

Any HSI can benefit from the assistance to increase the amount of Hispanic or Latino students in higher education, and the amount of Hispanic or Latino students graduating from a higher education institution. To be considered an HSI, universities have to meet certain criteria: 2-and 4-year colleges and universities had to have at least a 25% Hispanic or Latino enrollment total. This percentage was the minimum required by the Higher Education Act in 1992 (Laden, 2001). Because HSIs goals are to serve primarily Hispanic populations (Shehadeh & Termos, 2014),^[7] they are found in metropolitan areas with increasing Hispanic and Latino populations. Some of these areas include Los Angeles, San Antonio, Chicago, Philadelphia, Detroit, and Miami (Laden, 2001). Vigil discusses the increasing rates of Latinos in these areas due to the demand of unskilled temporary labor and for seemingly attainable housing opportunities. Although HSI's help Latino students in higher education, "HSI's do not have a declared, specific mission to serve Hispanics" (Laden, 2001).^[8][9][10]

Title V of the Act, introduced in 1998, is another funding stream specifically for HSIs to assist them in improving their higher educational provision.

Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities

In 1992, the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities led the effort to convince Congress to formally recognize campuses with high Hispanic enrollment as federally designated HSIs and to begin targeting federal appropriations to those campuses. Today, HACU represents nearly 470 colleges and universities committed to Hispanic higher education success in the U.S., Puerto Rico, Latin America, Spain and Portugal. Although HACU member institutions in the U.S. represent less than 13% of all higher education institutions nationwide, together they enroll more than two-thirds of all Hispanic college students.^[11] HACU is the only national educational association that represents Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs).^[12]

Funding

HSI federal funding grew in the early years (1998–2004) of Title V (the original and still linchpin HSI federal funding program), then leveled off from 2004-07 as the number of HSIs and Hispanic college students continued to grow. It increased dramatically in 2008 with the addition of the HSI STEM program, but since the Recession of 2009–10, it has actually declined while HSIs and Hispanic enrollments have increased even more rapidly.^{[13][14][15][16][17]}

One of the main challenges HSIs face as they address their critical role is persistent underfunding relative to other degree-granting institutions. According to 2016-17 IPEDS data, HSIs on average received $3,117 per student on average from all federal revenue sources, compared to $4,605 per student for all degree-granting institutions, just two-thirds the funding to educate a disproportionately low-income student population. The result is that HSIs only receive on average 68 cents for every federal dollar going to all other colleges and universities annually.^[18]

Largest Hispanic university enrollments

See also: The Hispanic Outlook in Higher Education

2019-2020 Total Enrollment 4-Year Schools[19]
Program	Ranking
1	Miami Dade College
2	Dallas College
3	Florida International University
4	South Texas College
5	Lone Star College System
6	The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
7	Grand Canyon University
8	Bakersfield College
9	San Jacinto Community College
10	Valencia College
11	The University of Texas at El Paso
12	Austin Community College District
13	University of Central Florida
14	Rio Hondo College
15	Santa Ana College
16	Broward College
17	California State University, Northridge
18	The University of Texas at San Antonio
19	California State University, Fullerton
20	Arizona State University Campus Immersion
21	California State University, Los Angeles
22	Western Governors University
23	California State University, Long Beach
24	Southern New Hampshire University
25	University of Houston
26	College of Southern Nevada
27	Texas A & M University College Station
28	Texas State University
29	The University of Texas at Arlington
30	Santa Monica College
31	University of Phoenix Arizona
32	California State University, San Bernardino
33	California State University, Fresno
34	California State Polytechnic University, Pomona
35	Modesto Junior College

While Hispanics study in colleges and universities throughout the country, some choose to attend federally-designated Hispanic-serving institutions, institutions that are accredited, degree-granting, public or private nonprofit institutions of higher education with 25 percent or more total undergraduate Hispanic full-time equivalent (FTE) student enrollment. There are over 270 institutions of higher education that have been designated as an HSI.^[11]

Universities with the largest Hispanic undergraduate enrollment (2013)[20] Rank University Hispanic enrollment % of student body 1 Florida International University 24,105 67% 2 University of Texas at El Paso 15,459 81% 3 University of Texas Pan American 15,009 91% 4 University of Texas at San Antonio 11,932 47% 5 California State University at Northridge 11,774 38% 6 California State University at Fullerton 11,472 36% 7 Arizona State University 11,465 19% 8 California State University at Long Beach 10,836 35% 9 California State University at Los Angeles 10,392 58% 10 University of Central Florida 10,255 20%

Universities with the largest Hispanic graduate enrollment (2013) Rank University Hispanic enrollment % of student body 1 Nova Southeastern University 4,281 20% 2 Florida International University 3,612 42% 3 University of Southern California 2,358 11% 4 University of Texas Pan American 2,120 78% 5 University of Texas at El Paso 2,083 59% 6 CUNY Graduate Center 1,656 30% 7 University of New Mexico 1,608 26% 8 University of Texas at San Antonio 1,561 35% 9 University of Florida 1,483 9% 10 Arizona State University 1,400 10%

Hispanic student enrollment in university and college systems (2012–2013) Rank University system Hispanic enrollment % of student body 1 California Community College System[21] 642,045 41% 2 California State University[22] 149,137 33% 3 Florida College System[23] 118,821 26% 4 University of Texas System[24] 84,086 39% 5 State University System of Florida[25] 79,931 24% 6 City University of New York[26] 77,341 30% 7 State University of New York[27] 43,514 9% 8 University of California 42,604 18% 9 Texas A&M University System[28][29] 27,165 25% 10 Nevada System of Higher Education[30] 21,467 21% – Ivy League[31] 11,562 10%

List of all institutions

Below are institutions of higher education designated as Hispanic-Serving Institutions in the United States based on 2018–19 data from the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS).^[a] For a complete list of institutions that meet the 25% federal enrollment criterion in the 2018–19 academic year, click here.^[32]

Arizona Arizona State University Downtown Phoenix campus Arizona State University Tempe campus Arizona State University West campus Arizona Western College Central Arizona College Chandler–Gilbert Community College Cochise College CollegeAmerica-Phoenix Estrella Mountain Community College GateWay Community College Glendale Community College Mesa Community College Phoenix College Pima Community College South Mountain Community College University of Arizona University of Arizona College of Applied Science and Technology Arkansas Cossatot Community College California Allan Hancock College American River College Antelope Valley College Antioch University-Santa Barbara Azusa Pacific University Bakersfield College Barstow Community College Berkeley City College Brandman University Butte College Cabrillo College California Baptist University California Christian College California College San Diego San Marcos California College San Diego San Diego California Lutheran University California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt[b] California State Polytechnic University, Pomona California State University, Bakersfield California State University, Channel Islands California State University, Chico California State University, Dominguez Hills California State University, East Bay California State University, Fresno California State University, Fullerton California State University, Long Beach California State University, Los Angeles California State University, Monterey Bay California State University, Northridge California State University, Sacramento California State University, San Bernardino California State University, San Marcos California State University, Stanislaus Cañada College Casa Loma College CBD College Cerritos College Cerro Coso Community College Chabot College Chaffey College Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science Citrus College City College of San Francisco Clovis Community College Coastline Community College College of Alameda College of Marin College of San Mateo College of the Canyons College of the Desert College of the Sequoias Community Christian College Compton College Contra Costa College Concordia University Irvine Copper Mountain College (Copper Mountain Community College) Cosumnes River College Crafton Hills College Cuesta College Cuyamaca College Cypress College DeAnza College Diablo Valley College Dominican University of California East Los Angeles College East San Gabriel Valley Regional Occupational Program El Camino Community College District Evergreen Valley College Feather River Community College District Foothill College Fresno City College Fresno Pacific University Fullerton College Gavilan College Glendale Community College Golden West College Grossmont College Hacienda La Puente Adult Education Hartnell College Hope International University Humphreys College-Stockton and Modesto Campuses Imperial Valley College John Paul the Great Catholic University

La Sierra University Lake Tahoe Community College Las Positas College Lassen Community College Life Pacific University Loma Linda University Long Beach City College Los Angeles City College Los Angeles County College of Nursing and Allied Health Los Angeles Harbor College Los Angeles Mission College Los Angeles Pacific University Los Angeles Pierce College Los Angeles Southwest College Los Angeles Trade–Technical College Los Angeles Valley College Los Medanos College Mendocino College Menlo College Merced College Merritt College Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey Mills College at Northeastern University MiraCosta College Mission College (California) Modesto Junior College Monterey Peninsula College Moorpark College Moreno Valley College Mount Saint Mary's University Mt. San Antonio College Mt. San Jacinto Community College District Napa Valley College National University Norco College Notre Dame de Namur University Orange Coast College Oxnard College Pacific Oaks College Pacific Union College Palo Verde College Palomar College Pasadena City College Porterville College Providence Christian College Reedley College Rio Hondo College Riverside City College Sacramento City College Saddleback College Saint Mary's College of California San Bernardino Valley College San Diego Christian College San Diego City College San Diego Mesa College San Diego Miramar College San Diego State University San Francisco State University San Joaquin Delta College San Jose City College San Jose State University Santa Ana College Santa Barbara City College Santa Monica College Santa Rosa Junior College Santiago Canyon College Sierra College Skyline College Solano Community College Sonoma State University Southern California University of Health Sciences Southwestern College Taft College University of California, Davis University of California, Merced University of California, Riverside University of California, Santa Barbara University of California, Santa Cruz University of La Verne University of Redlands University of Saint Katherine University of the West Vanguard University of Southern California Ventura College Victor Valley College West Hills College Coalinga West Hills College Lemoore West Los Angeles College West Valley College Whittier College Woodbury University Woodland Community College Yuba College Colorado Adams State University Aims Community College Altierus Career College-Thorton CollegeAmerica-Denver CollegeAmerica-Fort Collins Colorado Mountain College Colorado State University Pueblo Community College of Aurora Community College of Denver Lamar Community College Metropolitan State University of Denver Morgan Community College Otero College Pueblo Community College Trinidad State College Connecticut Capital Community College Gateway Community College Housatonic Community College Naugatuck Valley Community College Norwalk Community College University of Connecticut-Stamford

Florida Barry University Broward College Carlos Albizu University-Miami City College-Miami Florida Atlantic University Florida International University Florida Keys Community College Florida SouthWestern State College Hillsborough Community College Hodges University Indian River State College Keiser University-Ft. Lauderdale Miami Dade College Nova Southeastern University Palm Beach State College Polytechnic University of Puerto Rico-Miami Polytechnic University of Puerto Rico-Orlando SABER College Saint John Vianney College Seminary Seminole State College of Florida South Florida State College St. Thomas University University of Central Florida Valencia College Georgia Dalton State College Idaho Stevens Henager College Illinois Aurora University City Colleges of Chicago Dominican University Elgin Community College Morton College National Louis University Northeastern Illinois University Robert Morris University Illinois[c] Saint Xavier University St. Augustine College Triton College University of Illinois at Chicago Waubonsee Community College Wilbur Wright College Indiana Calumet College of Saint Joseph Kansas Dodge City Community College Donnelly College Seward County Community College Massachusetts Northern Essex Community College Springfield Technical Community College Urban College of Boston Nevada College of Southern Nevada Truckee Meadows Community College New Jersey Atlantic Cape Community College Bergen Community College Caldwell University Cumberland County College Essex County College Fairleigh Dickinson University-Metropolitan Campus Felician University Hudson County Community College Kean University Middlesex County College Montclair State University New Jersey City University New Jersey Institute of Technology Passaic County Community College Pillar College Saint Peter's University Union County College William Paterson University New Mexico Central New Mexico Community College Clovis Community College Doña Ana Community College Eastern New Mexico University Eastern New Mexico University–Roswell New Mexico Highlands University New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology New Mexico State University New Mexico State University Alamogordo New Mexico State University Carlsbad New Mexico State University Grants Northern New Mexico College Santa Fe Community College University of New Mexico University of New Mexico–Los Alamos University of the Southwest Western New Mexico University New York Boricua College Borough of Manhattan Community College Bronx Community College City College of New York College of Mount Saint Vincent College of Staten Island Dominican University Guttman Community College Hunter College John Jay College of Criminal Justice Laguardia Community College Lehman College Mercy University New York City College of Technology Orange County Community College Queens College Vaughn College of Aeronautics and Technology Westchester Community College

Ohio Union Institute & University Pennsylvania Reading Area Community College Puerto Rico American University of Puerto Rico Antillean Adventist University Atlantic University College Bayamon Central University Caribbean University Carlos Albizu University Escuela de Artes Plásticas y Diseño de Puerto Rico Inter American University of Puerto Rico Polytechnic University of Puerto Rico Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico San Juan Bautista School of Medicine Universidad del Este Universidad del Sagrado Corazon Universidad del Turabo University of Puerto Rico at Aguadilla University of Puerto Rico at Arecibo University of Puerto Rico at Bayamón University of Puerto Rico at Carolina University of Puerto Rico at Cayey University of Puerto Rico at Humacao University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez University of Puerto Rico at Ponce University of Puerto Rico at Utuado University of Puerto Rico, Medical Sciences Campus University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras Campus Rhode Island Rhode Island College Texas Alvin Community College Amarillo College Angelo State University Austin Community College District Baptist University of the Americas Brazosport College Brookhaven College Cisco College Coastal Bend College Del Mar College Eastfield College El Centro College El Paso Community College Galveston College Hallmark University Houston Christian University[d] Houston Community College Howard College Jacksonville College Laredo Community College Lee College Lone Star College System McLennan Community College Mountain View College North Lake College Northeast Texas Community College Northwest Vista College Northwood University Our Lady of the Lake University Palo Alto College Remington College San Antonio College San Jacinto Community College Schreiner University South Plains College South Texas College Southwest Texas Junior College Southwestern Adventist University St. Edward's University St. Mary's University Sul Ross State University Tarrant County College Texas A&M International University Texas A&M University–Corpus Christi Texas A&M University–Kingsville Texas A&M University–Victoria[e] Texas Lutheran University Texas State University Texas Tech University[33] Texas Woman's University University of Houston University of Houston–Clear Lake University of Houston–Downtown University of St. Thomas University of North Texas University of Texas at Arlington University of Texas at El Paso University of Texas at San Antonio University of Texas Health Science Center University of Texas of the Permian Basin University of Texas Rio Grande Valley University of the Incarnate Word Victoria College Western Texas College Wharton County Junior College Virginia Marymount University Washington Big Bend Community College Columbia Basin College Heritage University Skagit Valley College Wenatchee Valley College Yakima Valley Community College

Notes

1. IPEDS is a system of surveys designed to collect institution-level data from all primary providers of postsecondary education. IPEDS is maintained at the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), U.S. Department of Education.
2. Known before January 2022 as Humboldt State University.
3. Merged into nearby Roosevelt University in 2020; it has not yet been determined whether Roosevelt will qualify as an HSI.
4. Known before September 2022 as Houston Baptist University.
5. Known before September 2025 as University of Houston–Victoria.

See also

• Historically black colleges and universities
• Colegio Cesar Chavez
• Higher Education Act of 1965

References

1. "Higher Education Opportunity Act" (PDF). Retrieved May 17, 2020.
2. "20 U.S. Code SUBCHAPTER V— DEVELOPING INSTITUTIONS". Cornell Law School Legal Information Institute. Retrieved May 17, 2020.
3. "HACU List of Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs) 2021-2022 HSIs". Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities. 2022. Retrieved 2023-08-28.
4. Excelencia in Education. (2020). Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs): 2018–19. Washington, D.C.: Excelencia in Education. Retrieved April 27, 2020.
5. Title III, Section 312, HEA
6. "Definition of Hispanic-Serving Institutions". www.ed.gov. United States Department of Education. Retrieved August 13, 2009.
7. Shehadeh, Hazar; Termos, Mohamad (2014). "Hispanic Students' Perception of Discriminatory Campus Climate in a Hispanic-serving Institution". Journal of the World Universities Forum. 6 (2): 65–71. doi:10.18848/1835-2030/CGP/v06i02/56827.
8. Garcia, G. A. (2019). Becoming Hispanic-Serving Institutions: Opportunities for Colleges and Universities. Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins University Press.
9. Marybeth Gasman, Andrés Castro Samayoa, William Casey Boland, & Paola Esmieu (eds.), Educational Challenges and Opportunities at Minority Serving Institutions (New York, NY: Routledge Press, 2018).
10. Marybeth Gasman, Benjamin Baez, and Caroline Turner (eds.), Understanding Minority Serving Institutions (Albany, NY: State University of New York Press, March 2008).
11. "HACU Lists of Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs) and Emerging HSIs 2017-2018". Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities. Archived from the original on 2019-04-03. Retrieved 2019-04-03.
12. "HACU 101". Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities. Retrieved 2010-01-03.
13. William Casey Boland, Marybeth Gasman, Thai-Huy Nguyen, & Andrés Castro Samayoa, "Master Plan and the Future of California Higher Education: Assessing the Impact of State Policy on Minority Serving Institutions," American Educational Research Journal (2018).
14. William Casey Boland, Marybeth Gasman, Andrés Castro Samayoa, Andrew Martinez, and Brandy Jones, Even More Potential to Serve: Florida's Minority Serving Institutions. Philadelphia, PA: Penn Center for Minority Serving Institutions, 2018.
15. William Casey Boland, Andrés Castro Samayoa, Marybeth Gasman, and Thai-Huy Nguyen, An Unstoppable Tidal Wave of Progress: Minority Serving Institutions in Texas. Philadelphia, PA: Penn Center for Minority Serving Institutions, 2017.
16. William Casey Boland, Andrés Castro Samayoa, Thai-Huy Nguyen, Marybeth Gasman, Chris Jimenez, Elisa Chen, & Vera Wang, Striking Gold in the Golden State: Harnessing the Power of Minority Serving Institutions in California. Philadelphia, PA: Penn Center for Minority Serving Institutions, 2015.
17. Thai-Huy Nguyen, Valerie Lundy Wagner, Andrés Castro Samayoa, and Marybeth Gasman, On Their Own Terms: Two-Year Minority Serving Institutions. Philadelphia, PA: Penn Center for Minority Serving Institutions, 2015.
18. "About HSIs". Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities. Archived from the original on November 25, 2017. Retrieved July 24, 2018.
19. "Top 100 Colleges and Universities Hispanics". Hispanic Outlook On Education Magazine. Retrieved October 23, 2021.
20. "HO Top 100 Rankings: Colleges & Universities Granting" (PDF). Hispanic Outlook. May 13, 2013. Archived from the original (PDF) on November 2, 2013. Retrieved January 9, 2016.
21. "California Community Colleges Chancellor's Office". Data Mart. Retrieved March 5, 2015.
22. Malhotra, Monica. "CSU – AS – Enrollment by Ethnic Group – Fall 2013". California State University. Archived from the original on March 16, 2015. Retrieved March 5, 2015.
23. "The Fact Book: Report for the Florida College System 2014" (PDF). Florida Department of Education Division of Accountability, Research, and Measurement. 2014. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 4, 2016. Retrieved January 9, 2016.
24. "Facts 2013" (PDF). The University of Texas System. 2013. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 4, 2016. Retrieved January 9, 2016.
25. "Board of Governors : Resources". State University System of Florida. Archived from the original on February 22, 2015. Retrieved March 5, 2015.
26. "A Profile of Undergraduates at CUNY Senior and Community Colleges: Fall 2013" (PDF). CUNY Office of Institutional Research and Assessment. May 14, 2014. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 10, 2016. Retrieved January 9, 2016.
27. "Fast Facts – SUNY". State University of New York. Retrieved March 5, 2015.
28. "Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board Institutional Targets for Closing the Gaps in Participation, Targets One – Four" (PDF). Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. February 24, 2014. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 4, 2016. Retrieved January 9, 2016.
29. "The Texas A&M University System Facts 2013" (PDF). Texas A&M University. 2013. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 10, 2016. Retrieved January 9, 2016.
30. "Diversity: Minority Status" (PDF). Nevada System Of Higher Education. ^{[dead link]}
31. Cite error: The named reference nationaljournal.com was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
32. Excelencia in Education. (2020). Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs): 2018–19. Washington, D.C.: Excelencia in Education. Retrieved April 27, 2020.
33. "TEXAS TECH ACHIEVES HISPANIC SERVING INSTITUTION ENROLLMENT STATUS". TTU Committee on Achieving HSI Status. April 21, 2018.

External links

• "Hispanic-Serving Colleges and Universities" (2023)

• U.S. Department of Education Act, Title V, HSIs
• Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities
• HACU list of HSIs Archived 2017-11-24 at the Wayback Machine