Despite significant gains in high school graduation, college enrollment, and degree completion, Latinx students in California still face persistent barriers to educational success. What will it take to turn progress into opportunity? From high school reforms to institutional accountability, the path forward demands stronger support, equitable pathways, and a lasting commitment to student success.

You have probably heard the adage “As California goes, so goes the nation.” An important corollary to thisstatement might be “As Latinos go, so goes California.” We make up 41% of the state’s population and morethan half of Californians age 24 and under, according to the Public Policy Institute of California.

“California’s future will be shaped in no small measure by how well we educate and graduate LatinxCalifornians. That is not rhetoric. It is a demographic and economic reality,” said Dr. Dilcie D. Perez, ViceChancellor for Strategic Enrollment Management and Student Success at California State University, in her introduction to The State of Higher Education for Latinx Californians, a new report from the Campaign for College Opportunity, commissioned by the Latino Working Class Project.

So how well is California serving its largest student population? While meaningful progress has been made in preparing and supporting Latinx students, more must be done to help Latinx students successfullynavigate the path from high school to earning a college degree or certificate that leads to economic mobility.

First, some good news:

·      87% of Latinx seniors graduated from public high schools, on par with the state average.

·      Latinx students comprise approximately 50% of undergraduate students at California State University (CSU) and California Community Colleges (CCC), comparable to their share of the state’s young adult population.

·      Following implementation of Equitable Placement Reform, remedial course placements in CCCs—which often delayed graduation or transfer—have been virtually eliminated. Since fall 2017, Latinx students’ completion rates of transfer-level courses have  risen 16 percentage points in English and 37 points in math.

·      The share of Latinx CCC students who earn an associate degree or a certificate within four years has increased 50% in the past five years.

·      The graduation-rate equity gap between Latinx University of California (UC) transfer students and their peers has virtually closed.

This data demonstrates the impact of student-centered reforms and targeted investments. However, a deeper dive reveals that our work is far from complete:

·      Latinx students represent 70% of socioeconomically disadvantaged students, 74% of homeless students, and 80% of English learners (ELs) in California’s public TK-12 system.

·      Nearly half (46%) of Latinx high school seniors graduate without having completed the A-G courses required for UC or CSU admission, the largest share among any racial or ethnic group. Among Latinx English Learners, only 21% complete those requirements.

·      Just 18% of working-age Latinx Californians hold bachelor's degrees, compared with the statewide average of 37%.

·      Despite modest improvements, Latinx students remain significantly underrepresented at UC campuses, accounting for just 28% of undergraduates.

Latinx students face serious barriers to college success, despite important gains, when those barriersintersect with financial challenges, immigration status, and systemic barriers that fail to recognize and support their linguistic assets.

As the proud daughter of Mexican immigrants, a multilingual learner, and a first-generation college student, I know firsthand how difficult it is to earn a degree without meaningful support, a sense of belonging, and viable pathways to opportunity. I also know the tremendous assets, drive, and resilience that Latinx students bring to the educational landscape. We demonstrate navigational wealth (a term coined by Dr.Tara Yosso as part of her Cultural Wealth Model) as we move through systems not designed with us in mind. We carry with us a deep sense of gratitude for the sacrifices our parents made, the dreams our families and communities deferred so that we could pursue our own, and the responsibility to make those sacrifices count. Our educational journeys are rooted in the hopes and aspirations of generations before us and a commitment to keep the doors of opportunity open for the generations that follow.

“My parents migrated from Mexico in their early 20s, and higher education was not an opportunity they hadaccess to,” said Jonathan Merino, a UC Merced student quoted in the report. “Working alongside my dad in his landscaping business showed me the physical demands he endured daily. He constantly reminded methat education could open doors he never had the chance to walk through.”

How do we open those while allowing students to devote their strengths to their studies, rather than navigating a maze of red tape or working multiple jobs to cover college costs?

It starts in high school. We must build a college-going culture that actively recruits, embraces, and informs Latinx students and families about postsecondary options. This requires culturally responsive familyengagement strategies, including financial workshops, information on the application and transfer processes, and professional development that helps instructors better support multilingual learners,undocumented students, and mixed-status families. High schools and colleges should expand equitable dual enrollment opportunities aligned with Associate Degree for Transfer (ADT) pathways, CaliforniaGeneral Education Transfer Curriculum (Cal-GETC), and summer bridge programs.

Colleges can ensure equitable access by maintaining test-free admissions and holistic admissions practices. Once students are enrolled, institutions can provide early career exploration opportunities for Latinx students—and campus-based employment for undocumented students. Transparent, disaggregated data must show which policies work for the diverse communities within the Latinx population.

At the state level, the State Commissioner of Education and the California Education Interagency Council (CEIC) should establish ambitious goals for Latinx students and track progress across segments. With SB 1255 now law, California must ensure the new California Hispanic-Serving Institution designation is implemented with rigor to elevate effective practices, narrow equity gaps, and sustain institutional commitment to Latinx students from enrollment through completion and beyond.

This work is incremental, intersectional, and collaborative, stretching from high school to the workforce. California’s future is at stake, and our commitment is reflected in every student who finds a voice, pursues a pathway with purpose, earns a degree, and enriches their community.

“After years of being told I wasn’t trying hard enough by the very K-12 system that was failing me,discovering Coastline College, a community college focused on flexible online learning, changed everything,” said Jessica Lopez, now a Coastline graduate, who encountered additional barriers due to her disability. “Accessing higher education isn’t easy...but it restored a future I once thought was impossible.”

Jessica and other Latinx students need to know that a bright future isn’t just possible. It is a promise we take very seriously.

About the author
Dr. Feliza Ortiz-Licon is Executive Vice President at the Campaign for College Opportunity and anationally recognized education equity leader. The proud daughter of Mexican immigrants, she has spent25 years advancing policies that expand opportunity for Latinx students, immigrant students, multilingual learners, and other underserved communities.