ASU Named in Top 50 Colleges for Hispanic Students

ALAMOSA (October 16) –Adams State University was named in the top 50 for Hispanic students, according to the website bestcolleges.com. Adams State University was the first four-year institution in Colorado to be federally designated a Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSI), which requires a minimum of one-quarter Hispanic enrollment. Bestcolleges.com states: In 2012, 49 percent of Hispanic high school graduates enrolled at a postsecondary, public institution.

This percentage surpassed that of white students for the first time, and Hispanic enrollment in colleges and universities, which has increased 240 percent since 1996, is expected to continue to grow. Many Hispanic students are the first in their families to attend college, so it is important for them to find a support system that will help them navigate degrees, financial aid and their school and social obligations.To create the rankings, bestcolleges.com relied upon normal methodology to find schools that rank well for academics. “Our team then compared that list to the 242 Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities member schools in the U.S. to find the best schools for Hispanic, Latino/a and Chicano/a students. We included the percentage of Hispanic students currently enrolled at each college, along with in- and out-of-state tuitions to add more weight to our rankings. Each school on our list boasts a cultural center, degree programs or scholarships dedicated to enhancing the experiences of Hispanic students.”

Adams State committed to diversity

Adams State’s 2014 freshman class is its most diverse yet. The group is nearly 40 percent Hispanic, with another 12 percent of other races/ethnicities. The proportion of freshmen who identify as Hispanic increased from 35 percent last year; it was 33 percent in 2012. Overall, 32.5 percent of Adams State’s undergraduate student body identifies as Hispanic.

Forty-three percent identify as white, with the remainder representing other races/ethnicities, or unknown. In addition, 49 percent of the undergraduate student body is in the first generation in their families to attend college.

Since 2000, Adams State University has been awarded more than $17.7 million in Title V grants for Hispanic Serving Institutions, including two recent grants totaling more than $3.6 million to improve educational access for Hispanic and low-income students.