Latinas Lag In College Graduation Rates Compared To Peers

A new study shows that while second-generation Latinas are enrolling in college at the same rates as their third-generation non-Hispanic white counterparts, they are 18% less likely to finish school by the age of 26.

The findings were published by the Migration Policy Institute in a report called Up for Grabs: The Gains and Prospects of First- and Second-Generation Young Adults, which examines “11.3 million young immigrant-origin adults who represent one in four people in the United States between the ages of 16 and 26.”

Authors of the study found that although Latinas in particular have made progress in raising high school graduation and college enrollment rates, it’s important that they finish their degrees in order to secure jobs with higher wages.  According to one researcher:

Second-generation Hispanics are closing the gap in terms of access to higher education, but there remain large disparities in completing college, largely because of family, work and economic reasons,” said MPI Senior Vice President Michael Fix, a co-author of the study. “This is particularly significant because our research shows that wages rise with every level of education. Second-generation Hispanic women with at least a bachelor’s degree earn on average $10 more per hour than those with a high school degree.

In order to overcome the obstacles that could prevent Latinas and other first and second-generation immigrants from graduating, the study recommends use of strategies such as dual enrollment in high school/college to compress learning time and save money; flexible scheduling and financial assistance; programs that reduce students’ time in remedial courses; and extending time to graduation.

The complete report with other findings regarding first and second-generation youth and young adults can be found at Migration Policy Institute.