HSI @ SJSU

A “Hispanic Serving Institution” (HSI) is a federal designation for accredited, degree-granting colleges and universities that can boast 25% or more full time equivalent enrollment of Latina/o/x-identified students. This criteria was set by the US Department of Education in the 1990s.

There are currently 559 HSIs, 80% of which are located in just six states and one territory: California, Florida, Illinois, New Mexico, New York, Texas and Puerto Rico. HSIs are the result of both their geographical location and the growing Latinx population across the country.

SJSU currently has a Latinx student population of 27%. Many are first generation college students and/or come from multilingual immigrant communities–groups that have been historically underserved in higher education. 

According to the Hispanic Outlook on Education, of the top 100 colleges and universities for Hispanics, SJSU ranks:

#54 in terms of total Latinx enrollment;
#31 in terms of total bachelor’s degrees granted; and
#30 in terms of total Master’s degrees granted.

Many institutions seek to achieve HSI status because they then become eligible for competitive federal grant funding to strengthen their programs, facilities, and services in the interest of expanding opportunities for Latinx and other historically underserved student populations.

At SJSU, we view HSI status as a broader opportunity to draw upon the rich set of knowledge and curiosities about the world acquired from their own lived experiences, as well as from the insight they gain from their families and communities, to enhance the education experiences of all SJSU students regardless of background. We articulate that vision in our campus-specific framework, entitled Somos SJSU.