Hispanic Serving Institutions (H.S.I.s) were the focus of a feature article in the September 19th edition of Community College Week.

The article notes that 75% of H.S.I.s are located in California, New Mexico, Texas and Puerto Rico. Citing the National Center of Education Statistics, however, H.S.I.s are growing in states such as Massachusetts and Washington.

Capital CC attained the H.S.I. designation more than five years ago when the percentage of Full-Time-Equivalent (FTE) Hispanic students surpassed 25%.

Today, colleges such as Capital Community College in Hartford, Conn., and Dodge City Community College in Dodge City, Kan., meet the definition of HSI’s, according to Excelencia. Community colleges account for 47 percent, or 137 colleges, of the nation’s HSIs.

Coupled with a new surge of young Hispanics into college, as documented by the Pew Hispanic Center, the growing roster of HSIs underscores a demographic shift now under way in American higher education. While the number of young non-Hispanic whites attending college is on a downward trend, the number of Hispanics going to college is headed in the opposite direction.