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High school graduation rates for Hispanic youth have risen substantially

At 82 percent, our nation’s overall high school graduation rate is at an all‐time high, due in part to significant gains made by Hispanic students. The high school graduation rate for Hispanic students has risen 5 percentage points since 2010—larger than the gain in the graduation rate overall (4 percentage points). Since 2010 the dropout rate for Hispanic students has fallen by 5 percentage points, far outpacing the decline for the overall dropout rate (1 percentage point). Even with these striking gains, the high school graduation rate for Hispanics still remains somewhat lower, at 76 percent, than the overall national rate, and it remains vital to build on the progress over the past eight years to continue closing this gap. 

College enrollment and completion have increased for Hispanic students

In 2016, 3.4 million Hispanic students are enrolled in college—800,000 more than in 2009, amounting to an increase of more than 30 percent. This represents the largest increase among all major racial and ethnic groups. College enrollment among Hispanics is expected to increase by 125,000 next year.

More Hispanic students are graduating college than ever before; 864,000 young Hispanic adults had a Bachelor’s degree or higher education in 2015, up 295,000 since 2009, an increase of 5.2 percentage points—growing faster than the rate for the population as a whole (a 4.4 percentage point increase). And President Obama has supported substantial investments in community colleges—where nearly half of all Hispanic college students are pursuing education and training.