Minority serving institutions (MSIs) are an integral part of the U.S. higher education system. MSIs provide college access to millions of students of color, many of whom come from low-income backgrounds and are the first in their family to attend college. MSIs not only offer their students welcoming campus environments by enrolling large percentages of minority students, they also support their students through credential completion. Recent studies show that MSIs have higher completion rates than federal data suggest[1] and contribute to upward mobility by propelling their lowest-income students into the upper-middle class at higher rates than non-MSIs[2]. As the U.S. undergraduate population grows more diverse in the years ahead, the number of MSIs is likely to climb.
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Explore Other Indicators
U.S. Population Trends and Educational Attainment
Explores U.S. population growth and differences in educational attainment, by race and ethnicity.
Secondary School
Completion
Examines the racial and ethnic composition of secondary school completers, GED® test performance, and public high school graduation rates.
Enrollment in
Undergraduate Education
Explores patterns in undergraduate enrollment, including where students enroll, program award level, and field of study.
Enrollment in
Graduate Education
Analyzes graduate school enrollment rates and enrollment patterns in graduate education, by race and ethnicity.
Undergraduate Persistence
and Completion
Examines six-year outcomes of undergraduate students and patterns in undergraduate completions, including award level and field of study.
Graduate School
Completion
Explores patterns in graduate student completions, including from where students graduate, award level completed, and field of study.
How Students Finance Undergraduate Study
Illustrates how students finance undergraduate education, including FAFSA completion rates, expected family contribution, borrowing rates, and patterns in borrowing.
How Students Finance
Graduate Study
Illustrates how students finance graduate education, including receipt of grant aid, borrowing rates, and patterns in borrowing.
Spotlight on Minority
Serving Institutions
Examines the characteristics of students enrolled at minority serving institutions (MSIs), along with six-year outcomes of students who start their college education at an MSI.
Postsecondary Faculty
and Staff
Explores the profile of faculty, staff, and executive leadership employed at U.S. postsecondary institutions.
Employment
and Earnings
Analyzes labor force participation, employment, and median annual earnings across levels of educational attainment and occupational fields.
[1] Espinosa, Lorelle L., Jonathan M. Turk, and Morgan Taylor. 2017. Pulling Back the Curtain: Enrollment and Outcomes at Minority Serving Institutions. Washington, DC: American Council on Education.
[2] Espinosa, Lorelle L., Robert Kelchen, and Morgan Taylor. 2018. Minority Serving Institutions as Engines of Upward Mobility. Washington, DC: American Council on Education.
