Examining Life Outcomes Among Graduates of Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs)

Latino graduates of Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs) with inclusive environments, strong support systems, and career services are more likely than the general college-education population to have fulfilling professional, personal, and social lives. Excelencia in Education partnered with the Strada Education Network and Gallup to examine the role of HSIs since they enroll 65% of all Latino college students. Results from the study are based on 12 HSIs from our Excelencia in Action network.

Full recording from September 11, 2018 briefing -https://www.facebook.com/EdExcelencia/videos/679984882378377/

Areas of Focus

• Whether graduates know their alma mater is classified as an HSI and their perceptions of whether their campus environment was a good place for various groups of people
• If graduates engaged in various college experiences
• The extent to which graduates utilized university resources and whether they felt prepared for life outside college
• How graduates fare in career and workplace outcomes
• Whether graduates are thriving in their well-being

Participating Institutions

The data in the report are based upon interviews with 14,320 college graduates who received their bachelor’s degree from one of 12 HSIs between 2000 and 2017. Excelencia in Education has working relationships with leaders at the participating institutions. The institutions use evidence-based programs and resources to accelerate Latino student success and are part of the Excelencia in Action network (E-Action).

California State University, Channel Islands
California State University, Los Angeles
California State University, Sacramento
Dominican University
Felician University
Lehman College, CUNY
Northeastern Illinois University
Nova Southeastern University
Queens College, CUNY
St. Edward’s University
Texas Woman’s University
University of La Verne

Findings

• Excelencia network graduates believe their alma mater is creating an inclusive environment for the success of all students. Latino graduates are more likely than non-Latino graduates (91% vs. 79%, respectively) to say their alma mater was a good place for students of racial and ethnic minorities.
• Excelencia network graduates indicate they had strong support systems at college. Over one-third of Excelencia network graduates (36%) strongly agree that their professors cared about them as a person – higher than college graduates nationally (32%) and other HIS graduates (28%).
• There are areas of opportunity that could further support graduates in finding jobs and learning skills that carry over into the workplace. Among the 59% Excelencia network graduates who visited career services at least once, nearly half say their career services office was helpful or very helpful – higher than both comparison groups.
• Twenty-seven percent of Excelencia network graduates strongly agree that they were prepared well for life outside of college. Thirty-one percent of Excelencia network graduates strongly agree that their alma mater provided them with the knowledge and skills they needed to be successful in the workplace.
• Excelencia network graduates are more likely than college graduates nationally to be fulfilled in their work and to have higher levels of well-being. Excelencia network graduates are more likely than college graduates nationally to strongly agree that they have the ideal job for them (25% vs. 22% respectively) and that their job gives them the opportunity to do work that interests them (41% vs. 37%).