MIAMI – A higher percentage of young Hispanic adults is finishing high school, and the number attending a two-year college has nearly doubled over the last decade, according to recently released Census data.
The percentage of Hispanic 18- to 24-year-olds who are not enrolled in high school and don’t have an equivalent degree was 22 percent in 2008, down from 34 percent in 1998.
Meanwhile, the number attending a two-year college increased 85 percent, from 540,000 in 2000 to 1 million in 2008.
“It’s an amazing level of growth,” said Kurt Bauman, chief of the Census Bureau’s education branch.
Researchers said the numbers on high school completion were the result of several factors, including targeted efforts to reduce the number of Latino students dropping out as well as an increasing percentage born and attending all their schooling in the United States.
But several experts also expressed concern that high numbers are choosing two-year colleges, where students tend to have lower completion rates and frequently do not go on to earn a bachelor’s degree.
Jose Cruz, vice president for higher education policy and practice with the Education Trust, pointed to studies that show a majority of Latino students aspire to earn a bachelor’s degree, but noted they are overrepresented in two-year institutions. He attributed the gap to issues of K-12 preparation, insufficient counseling and the overwhelming financial contribution low-income families must make in order to attend a four-year institution.
