Latinx Equity and Success

What is an HSI?

Definitions

  • A Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI) is more than a Hispanic-enrolling one.  An HSI intentionally creates equity for, and advances the success of, its Hispanic/Latino students.  

  • Under federal law (Higher Education Opportunity Act, Title V, 2008), an HSI is an accredited, degree-granting, public or private nonprofit institution of higher education with 25%, or more, total undergraduate Hispanic full-time equivalent (FTE) student enrollment. 

       - Chico State met the enrollment definition of an HSI in Fall 2014.

  • Additional criteria exist for an institution's eligibility for federal Title III and Title V HSI grants programs. 
       - Chico State became eligible for Title III and Title V HSI grants programs in Fall 2015.

HSIs by the Numbers

According to Excelencia in Education, a nationally recognized and trusted resource on accelerating Latino student success in higher education, reports that in 2021-2022, there were 571 institutions in 28 U.S. states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico that met the enrollment definition of HSI.   

  • 571 HSIs enrolled 62% of all Latino undergraduates and represented 19% of all institutions of higher education 

  • 29.8% of all HSIs are in California

  • 21 California State Universities (CSUs) are HSIs

  • Over 90% of the California Community Colleges are HSIs

  • Additionally, there were 401 "emerging" HSIs (eHSIs), defined as institutions with 15.0-24.9% undergraduate full-time equivalent Hispanic student enrollment.

For learn more HSI facts, please visit Excelencia's HSI research site.