Fast Facts: Hispanic Heritage Month (1142)

Hispanic Heritage Month

Question:
For National Hispanic Heritage Month 2023, what data do you have on the learning experiences of Hispanic/Latino students throughout their education careers and on the characteristics of Hispanic/Latino education staff?

Response:

Early Childhood Education

In 2021, some 42 percent of Hispanic/Latino 3- to 4-year-olds and 82 percent of Hispanic/Latino 5-year-olds were enrolled in school (source).¹

K–12 Education

Students

In fall 2021, some 28 percent of students enrolled in public preK–12 schools were Hispanic/Latino (source).
Between fall 2010 and fall 2021, the percentage of students enrolled in public preK–12 schools who were Hispanic/Latino increased from 23 percent to 28 percent (source).
At private schools in 2019–20, some 12 percent of students were Hispanic/Latino (source).²
In fall 2021, some 61 percent of Hispanic/Latino students attended public schools where students of color³ comprised at least 75 percent of total enrollment (source).
As a percentage of all preK–12 public school students in school year 2021–22, some 14 percent of Hispanic/Latino students received special education services under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) (source).
The average NAEP civics assessment score of Hispanic/Latino eighth-graders was 14 points higher in 2022 than in 1998 (source).
In school year 2019–20, the adjusted cohort graduation rate (ACGR) was 83 percent for Hispanic/Latino students who attended public schools. The ACGRs for Hispanic/Latino students ranged from 64 percent in the District of Columbia to 93 percent in West Virginia (source).

Teachers and Principals

In school year 2020–21, some 9 percent of all public K–12 school teachers and 8 percent of all private K–12 school teachers were Hispanic/Latino (source).
In school year 2020–21, some 14 percent of teachers in public K–12 city schools and 9 percent of teachers in private K–12 city schools were Hispanic/Latino (source).
In school year 2020–21, some 9 percent of all public K–12 school principals and 6 percent of all private K–12 school principals were Hispanic/Latino (source).
In school year 2020–21, some 16 percent of principals in public K–12 city schools and 8 percent of principals in private K–12 city schools were Hispanic/Latino (source).

Postsecondary Education

Students

In fall 2021, there were 3.7 million Hispanic/Latino students enrolled in degree-granting postsecondary institutions. Twenty-one percent of U.S. resident students enrolled in degree-granting institutions were Hispanic/Latino (source).
At the undergraduate level, Hispanic/Latino enrollment at degree-granting institutions increased by 30 percent from fall 2010 to fall 2021 (from 2.6 million to 3.3 million students) (source).
Some 59 percent of Hispanic/Latino students who began seeking a bachelor’s or equivalent degree at a 4-year institution in fall 2015 received that degree within 150 percent of the normal time (i.e., within 6 years) (source).
In academic year 2020–21, postsecondary institutions awarded 101,761 science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) degrees/certificates to Hispanic/Latino students (source).
In fall 2021, there were 2.1 million Hispanic/Latino students⁴ enrolled at 516 Hispanic-serving institutions (HSIs) in 28 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico (source).

The data in this figure is described in the surrounding text.

In academic year 2020–21, there were 170,695 bachelor’s degrees and 36,341 master’s degrees awarded to Hispanic/Latino students at 516 HSIs in 28 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico (source).
In academic year 2020–21, some 18 percent of bachelor’s degrees conferred to Hispanic/Latino graduates in the 50 states and District of Columbia, excluding Puerto Rico, were in a STEM field (source).

Percentage and percentage distribution of bachelor’s degrees conferred by degree-granting postsecondary institutions in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields, by race/ethnicity and U.S. nonresident status: Academic year 2020–21

The data in this figure is described in the surrounding text.

# Rounds to zero.
¹ The percentage distribution of STEM degrees conferred by race/ethnicity presented here differs from the distribution in table 318.45 of the Digest of Education Statistics, which excludes U.S. nonresidents from the distribution.

NOTE: Data are for the 50 states and the District of Columbia. STEM fields include biological and biomedical sciences, computer and information sciences, engineering and engineering technologies, mathematics and statistics, and physical sciences and science technologies. Data are for postsecondary institutions participating in Title IV federal financial aid programs. Data in this figure are based on the 2020 Classification of Instructional Programs. Race categories exclude persons of Hispanic ethnicity. Race/ethnicity categories exclude U.S. nonresidents. Although rounded numbers are displayed, the figures are based on unrounded data. Detail does not sum to total due to rounding.

Faculty

In fall 2021, there were 23,557 full-time Hispanic/Latino female faculty members at degree-granting postsecondary institutions in the 50 states and the District of Columbia, compared with 22,598 Hispanic/Latino male faculty members (source). Female and male Hispanic/Latino faculty each represented 3 percent of total full-time faculty members (source).

¹ Unless otherwise noted, statistics in this Fast Fact refer to the 50 states and the District of Columbia.
² Includes enrollment in prekindergarten through grade 12 in schools that offer kindergarten or a higher grade.
³ Students of color include those who are Black, Hispanic, Asian, Pacific Islander, American Indian/Alaska Native, and of Two or more races.
⁴ Includes undergraduate as well as postbaccalaureate students.

Related Tables and Figures: (Listed by Release Date)

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