Over the past two decades, Hispanic and Latino adults have made some of the fastest gains in education and training after high school of any group in the United States. Since 2009, the share of Hispanic and Latino adults with college degrees has increased by 11 percentage points.
Still, there’s much more work to do to ensure that Hispanic and Latino students, along with all Americans, have real opportunities to thrive. The jobs of the future, which are rapidly evolving through developments in artificial intelligence and other technology, will increasingly require more education, meaning that more Americans will need a degree, certificate, or other credentials of value.
At Lumina Foundation, we have set a new national goal aiming for 75 percent of adults in the labor market to have college degrees or other credentials of value by 2040—that is, education and training that lead to good jobs, higher wages, and fuller lives.
In other words, it’s not enough to get more people into college. It’s not enough to help more people finish those degrees or credentials. We believe, and the public demands, that their hard-earned credentials come with proven value in the workplace and society.
When looking at post-high school credentials that deliver at least a 15 percent wage premium over a high school diploma alone, the data shows Hispanic adults lagging behind the national average. Only 20 percent of Hispanic Americans have a credential that meets this earnings benchmark.
Colleges and universities across the country are working to improve education and training pathways for Hispanic and Latino students through clearer routes to college, stronger support to stay the course, and programs designed to connect learning with real economic opportunities.
Given the rising costs of college, misalignment with the job market, perceived politicization of colleges and universities, and eroding trust in higher education, we know we must redesign education and training systems to truly serve the needs of today’s students.
It’s clear that education makes a critical difference in helping people secure good jobs, with Census Bureau data showing that households headed by a bachelor’s-degree holder earn a median income of $133,000, more than double the $58,000 for those led by someone with a high school diploma.
Beyond the financial benefits, research shows that with greater education, people are more likely to vote and volunteer in their communities. They’re likely to live healthier, longer, more fulfilling lives where they can pursue their passions.
Where opportunity begins
From leveraging best practices at Hispanic-Serving Institutions to improving belonging on campus and strengthening systems for all learners, here are a few examples of initiatives improving education and training for Hispanic and Latino students.
Excelencia in Education, which sets the standard for Latino student success, is helping to strengthen career-connected experiences such as internships, research, and study abroad programs that deepen student engagement and connect learning to work.
Through the REACH Collaborative, states and community colleges designed “credentials-to-degrees” pathways, which connect short-term certificates to associate degrees and beyond, ensuring that each step a student takes builds toward something larger. The result is a shift from a fragmented system, where students accumulate credits that may not transfer or lead to jobs, to one that is more structured, transparent, and fair.
Front Range Community College in Colorado, for example, sought to support Hispanic adult learners who were less likely to receive credit for prior learning. The campus trained faculty and staff in prior learning assessment, made more advisors available to answer student questions, waived assessment fees, and provided the test in both English and Spanish.
FutureReady States is helping to emphasize credentials of value across the country. A dozen states are developing policies to track and ensure the economic and social returns of short-term workforce credentials. For students and families seeking fast, affordable routes into the security of good jobs, this is great news: States have invested nearly $5 billion in these programs in recent years, and a new analysis shows more than 100 efforts boosting credential programs across 34 states.
These approaches recognize a simple truth: For adult students, time, cost, and clarity matter. The easier it is to understand the path and see its payoff, the more likely students are to stick with it.
A system designed for today’s students
These and other initiatives point toward a truly reimagined higher education system—one that is more flexible, more transparent, and more responsive to the needs of today’s students.
Community colleges are at the center of that vision. For 40 percent of undergraduates, it is where the work toward fairness becomes real, where better ideas are tested and refined, and where millions of students take life-changing steps toward a better future.
Our challenge is not whether community colleges can deliver on that promise. It is whether the broader system will invest in the policies, partnerships, and practices needed to support them.
Because when community colleges succeed, they do more than educate individuals. They expand opportunity—one credential, one pathway, and one student at a time.
About the author
Jamie Merisotis, an internationally recognized leader in higher education, human work, philanthropy, and public policy, has been Lumina Foundation’s president and CEO since 2008. He previously co-founded the Institute for Higher Education Policy. He is a Forbes contributor and authored two books, America Needs Talent and Human Work in the Age of Smart Machines.
