Among U.S. Latinos, the high school dropout rate is at a record low while their college enrollment rate is at a record high, according to new Census Bureau data. This is “particularly noteworthy” because the number of Latinos enrolled in K-12 between 1999 and 2016 surged 80 percent, from 9.9 million to 17.9 million. By comparison, the number of white K-12 students enrolled fell 14 percent. ”The rise in Hispanic student enrollment reflects broader demographic shifts that have occurred in the U.S.,” notes Pew, “with Hispanics accounting for a growing share of the nation’s overall population. But educational progress has also improved among Hispanics”:
As the Hispanic dropout rate has declined, the share of Hispanic high school graduates who enroll in college has risen. In 2016, 47% of Hispanic high school graduates ages 18 to 24 were enrolled in college, up from 32% in 1999. By comparison, the share of college enrollees among 18- to 24-year-old white, black and Asian high school graduates increased more modestly.
A record 3.6 million Hispanics were enrolled in public and private colleges in the U.S. in 2016, up 180% from the 1.3 million who were enrolled in 1999. The increase in Hispanic college enrollment outpaced Hispanic enrollment growth in U.S. nursery and K-12 schools during the same span.
Still, “it’s important to note they still lag behind other races and ethnicities in several other academic measures.” It’s one reason why Hispanic-Serving Institutions—colleges and universities where at least 25 percent of the study body is Latino—are important. According NBC News, “a majority of Latinos attended Hispanic-Serving Institutions in 2014-2015 academic year,” where Latinos may feel most supported and see themselves reflected in the student body. "These are students who need support services and academic advising," said researcher Deborah Santiago. “The issue for these institutions, said Santiago, is to ensure that Hispanic students are not only enrolling but graduating.”