A Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI) is as an accredited, degree-granting, public or private nonprofit institution of higher education with 25% or more total undergraduate Hispanic or Latinx full-time students. As many of us know, these schools are not only known for their academic excellence, but for their commitments to diversity and inclusion, especially towards Hispanic and Latinx students. If you’re looking to attend an HSI as the next step of your educational journey, here are the top seven in the United States:
U.C. Irvine
Part of the University of California system, U.C. Irvine is a public research university specializing in 87 undergraduate degrees and 129 graduate programs. The school is best known for their work in research and development, housing several research organizations dedicated to the intricacies of life sciences, health, politics and many other areas of study. Though the university is not an Ivy League school, it is considered one of the “public ivies,” with an educational value comparable to Ivy League schools.
- Location: Irvine, California
- Popular Majors: Health, Psychology, Business
- Acceptance Rate: 29%
- 4-Year Graduation Rate: 68%
- In-State Tuition: $13,775
- Out-of-State Tuition: $43,529
University of Arizona
The first university in the Arizona territory, the University of Arizona is a public research university with 19 separate schools and colleges focusing on everything from medicine to law. While many of the university’s students study business, the school is best known for its extensive research programs, especially astronomy. In fact, the University of Arizona has worked on several projects with NASA and is the fourth most awarded public university by the government entity.
- Location: Tucson, Arizona
- Popular Majors: Business, Biosciences, Engineering
- Acceptance Rate: 29%
- 4-Year Graduation Rate: 50%
- In-State Tuition: $12,736
- Out-of-State Tuition: $37,258
Texas Tech University
Texas Tech University is a public research university offering over 150 courses of study. Texas Tech is not only known for its beautiful campuses and small classroom sizes, but for producing graduates that go on to have thriving careers in every field from government, science and business to sports and entertainment. Research is also a prominent aspect of the school’s academic life, with prominent studies being done in epidemiology, pulsed power, grid computing, atmospheric sciences, wind energy and more.
- Location: Lubbock, Texas
- Popular Majors: Business, Engineering, Biosciences
- Acceptance Rate: 68%
- 4-Year Graduation Rate: 38%
- In-State Tuition: $11,852
- Out-of-State Tuition: $24,122
U.C. Santa Barbara
U.C. Santa Barbara is a public research university that, like U.C. Irvine, is part of the University of California system. While there are over 200 programs and areas of study that students can pursue at the school, it is best known for its specialty in the sciences, particularly life science. They are home to various organized research units focusing on subjects such as evolutionary psychology, marine sciences and neuroscience. Like U.C. Irvine, U.C. Santa Barbara is also considered to be a public ivy league school.
- Location: Santa Barbara, California
- Popular Majors: Social Sciences, Biosciences, Mathematics
- Acceptance Rate: 29%
- 4-Year Graduation Rate: 70%
- In-State Tuition: $14,417
- Out-of-State Tuition: $44,171
University of Central Florida
The University of Central Florida is a public research university with nine regional campuses throughout central Florida. It has the second largest student body of any public university in the United States, hosting over 70,000 students in the fall of 2021. Offering more than 230 degrees, the University of Central Florida specializes in health studies, owning a campus exclusively used for health sciences. The UCF Health Sciences Campus includes an institute for medical research, a Veterans Affairs Medical Center, a children’s hospital, a cancer research institute and more.
- Location: Unincorporated Orange County, Florida
- Popular Majors: Business, Health, Psychology
- Acceptance Rate: 36%
- 4-Year Graduation Rate: 46%
- In-State Tuition: $6,368
- Out-of-State Tuition: $22,467
Cal State University Long Beach
Cal State Long Beach is a public research university and part of the California State University system. It is one of the largest universities in California, known for its unique architecture, low tuition rates and extensive student services. Offering 81 baccalaureate degrees, 67 graduate programs and three doctoral degrees, Cal State Long Beach is popular for its arts programs, being one of the largest publicly funded art schools in the country.
- Location: Long Beach, California
- Popular Majors: Business, Visual and Performing Arts, Social Sciences
- Acceptance Rate: 47%
- 4-Year Graduation Rate: 34%
- In-State Tuition: $6,846
- Out-of-State Tuition: $18,726
Florida International University
Florida International University is a public research university with more than 200 programs of study. It is one of the largest schools both in the state and country, and was Florida’s number one school for performance funding, with over $246 million in research expenditures. Additionally, the school is best known for its prestigious business college and impressive engineering center. As of May 2022, 68% of the student body was comprised of Hispanic and Latinx students.
- Location: Miami-Dade County, Florida
- Popular Majors: Business, Psychology, Biosciences
- Acceptance Rate: 64%
- 4-Year Graduation Rate: 42%
- In-State Tuition: $6,565
- Out-of-State Tuition: $18,963
Sources: U.S. News, Niche, Wikipedia
