Pew Reports Hispanic Students are Largest Minority Group in College

While some students are debating whether or not a college education is worth the cost, Hispanic students are enrolling and attending at an all-time high. According to a report released by the Pew Hispanic Center, a 24-percent spike in Hispanic college enrollment has made them the largest minority group of 18- to 24-year-olds on campuses across the country.

The main factor behind the enrollment surge: eligibility. More Hispanic adults were eligible to attend college than ever before – nearly 73 percent had finished high school – so where are they attending? For the most part, the growth stems from Hispanic enrollment at community colleges. The report states that young Hispanic students are enrolling in community colleges at a much greater rate than their peers. In 2010, one million Hispanic students enrolled at four-year institutions, compared with 800,000 at two-year colleges, and of all young Hispanic students attending college last October, 54 percent were at four-year colleges. But while enrollment rates among Hispanic students have increased over the years, college completion rates lag: Hispanics are still the least likely of any major ethnic group to complete college or earn a degree.

Hispanic students, what do you think of the study’s findings? Why do you think more students are entering college but not completing?