Recent NAEP scores show Hispanic 8th graders scoring 227 in math, nine points below the national average. Chronic absenteeism among Hispanic students climbed to 35% in 2021. This data underscores systemic challenges in academic performance and access.
Key Takeaways
- Hispanic 8th graders scored 227 in math on NAEP 2022, below national avg 236
- In reading, Hispanic 4th graders averaged 202 on NAEP 2022 vs. 217 national
- Hispanic high school seniors math proficiency: 13% at NAEP proficient in 2020
- Hispanic college enrollment rate for recent high school grads: 38% in 2021
- Immediate college enrollment for Hispanics: 42% in 2022, up from 36% in 2010
- Hispanic 4-year college enrollment: 24% of grads in 2021
- Hispanic bachelor's attainment for 25-29: 24% in 2021
- Master's degrees for Hispanics: 4.2 million adults in 2021
- High school completion for Hispanics 25+: 74.2% in 2021
- The adjusted cohort graduation rate (ACGR) for Hispanic students was 83.7% in 2019-20
- Hispanic four-year ACGR reached 87.0% in 2021-22, up from 83.2% in 2018-19
- In 2020, 82.6% of Hispanic students graduated high school on time
- In 2021-22, Hispanic students made up 27.0% of public school enrollment in the U.S.
- Hispanic enrollment in public elementary/secondary schools reached 13.6 million students in fall 2020
- From 2010 to 2020, Hispanic public school enrollment grew by 1.3 million students
NAEP and school data show Hispanics face persistent achievement gaps, with rising absenteeism but stronger college access.
Related reading
01 · Category
Academic Performance20 stats
01
Hispanic 8th graders scored 227 in math on NAEP 2022, below national avg 236
02
In reading, Hispanic 4th graders averaged 202 on NAEP 2022 vs. 217 national
03
Hispanic high school seniors math proficiency: 13% at NAEP proficient in 2020
04
GPA for Hispanic high school graduates averaged 2.9 in 2021
05
Hispanic students AP participation rate: 28% in 2022
06
In science, Hispanic 8th graders NAEP score 141 in 2022
07
Hispanic 12th graders reading NAEP: 272 avg in 2019
08
Chronic absenteeism for Hispanics: 28% pre-COVID, rose to 35% in 2021
09
Hispanic STEM course-taking: 45% took physics in high school 2019
10
NAEP math gap: Hispanics 27 points behind whites in grade 4 2022
11
Hispanic bilingual program students scored 20% lower on state tests 2021
12
Average ACT score for Hispanics: 18.4 in 2022
13
SAT math for Hispanics: 457 avg in 2022
14
Hispanic PSAT participation up 15% since 2015, avg score 890
15
In writing, Hispanic 8th graders NAEP 2022: 248 avg
16
Hispanic gifted program enrollment: 7% vs. 10% national avg 2020
17
State math proficiency for Hispanics: 25% in 2021 avg across states
18
Hispanic IB diploma attainment: 5% of candidates in 2022
19
NAEP civics score Hispanics grade 8: 150 in 2022
20
Hispanic suspension rates linked to 15% lower test scores
Interpretation
Academic Performance Interpretation
These statistics paint a sobering portrait of systemic educational inequity, where Hispanic students are consistently asked to run the same race but starting from a line drawn farther back.
02 · Category
College Access18 stats
01
Hispanic college enrollment rate for recent high school grads: 38% in 2021
02
Immediate college enrollment for Hispanics: 42% in 2022, up from 36% in 2010
03
Hispanic 4-year college enrollment: 24% of grads in 2021
04
Community college enrollment for Hispanics: 55% of postsecondary in 2020
05
Hispanic Pell Grant recipients: 52% of Hispanic undergrads in 2021-22
06
In 2022, Hispanic freshman enrollment grew 7.3% at 4-year colleges
07
Hispanic enrollment in master's programs: 10% share in 2021
08
Texas Hispanic college-going rate: 52% in 2021
09
California Hispanics: 47% immediate college enrollment 2022
10
Hispanic students in HBCUs: 6% enrollment share 2020
11
Online college enrollment for Hispanics doubled to 30% during COVID 2021
12
Florida Hispanic postsecondary enrollment: 360,000 in 2021
13
Hispanic first-gen college students: 57% in 2020
14
Doctoral enrollment Hispanics: 8% share in 2021-22
15
Hispanic transfer rates from CC to 4-year: 16% success in 2019
16
New York Hispanic college enrollment: 28% of undergrads 2021
17
Hispanic enrollment in STEM majors: 18% in 2022
18
Aid dependency for Hispanic undergrads: 75% receive aid 2021
Interpretation
College Access Interpretation
The statistics paint a picture of resilient momentum fueled by necessity, where a community is increasingly punching its ticket to higher education—often as first-generation students relying heavily on aid and community colleges—yet still faces a stubborn climb when the path turns toward advanced degrees and seamless transitions.
03 · Category
Educational Outcomes19 stats
01
Hispanic bachelor's attainment for 25-29: 24% in 2021
02
Master's degrees for Hispanics: 4.2 million adults in 2021
03
High school completion for Hispanics 25+: 74.2% in 2021
04
Associate degrees awarded to Hispanics: 140,000 in 2020-21
05
Bachelor's degrees: Hispanics earned 173,000 in 2020-21, 14% of total
06
Adult literacy proficiency for Hispanics: 34% at proficient level 2019
07
Median earnings for Hispanics with bachelor's: $62,000in 2021
08
Hispanic PhD recipients: 2.3% of total in 2021
09
Lifetime earnings premium for Hispanic college grads: +$1.2M over HS
10
Hispanic women bachelor's attainment: 27% for 25-34 in 2021
11
English proficiency correlates with 15% higher attainment rates
12
Hispanic unemployment rate for college grads: 3.2% in 2022
13
Generational progress: 2nd-gen Hispanics 40% college attainment vs. 15% immigrants
14
STEM degrees for Hispanics: 12% of bachelor's in 2021
15
Civic engagement higher for educated Hispanics: 65% vote with degrees
16
Health outcomes: College-educated Hispanics 20% lower obesity rates
17
Arizona Hispanic attainment: 20% bachelor's 25+ in 2021
18
Texas: 22% Hispanic adults with associate or higher 2021
19
National Hispanic postsecondary completion: 32% 6-year rate 2016 cohort
Interpretation
Educational Outcomes Interpretation
The data tells a story of determined progress and persistent gaps: a growing legion of Hispanic college graduates is securing a stronger foothold, yet the climb remains steeper and the summit further away than for many others.
More related reading
04 · Category
High School Graduation19 stats
01
The adjusted cohort graduation rate (ACGR) for Hispanic students was 83.7% in 2019-20
02
Hispanic four-year ACGR reached 87.0% in 2021-22, up from 83.2% in 2018-19
03
In 2020, 82.6% of Hispanic students graduated high school on time
04
Texas Hispanic ACGR: 91.4% in 2021-22
05
California Hispanic graduation rate: 84.4% in 2021-22
06
Florida Hispanics: 91.7% ACGR in 2021-22
07
New York Hispanic ACGR: 82.4% in 2020-21
08
Hispanic male ACGR: 81.5% vs. female 85.9% in 2019-20
09
In low-income schools, Hispanic ACGR was 78.2% in 2020
10
Arizona Hispanic graduation rate: 79.1% in 2021-22
11
Nevada Hispanics: 82.3% ACGR in 2021-22
12
Illinois Hispanic ACGR: 84.7% in 2020-21
13
During COVID, Hispanic extended-year graduation rate rose to 88.5% in 2020-21
14
Hispanic ELL ACGR: 65.4% in 2019-20
15
Colorado Hispanic graduation: 80.2% in 2021-22
16
New Mexico Hispanics: 74.5% ACGR in 2021-22
17
Hispanic students in charter high schools: 85.2% ACGR in 2019
18
Georgia Hispanic ACGR: 85.6% in 2021-22
19
Hispanic dropout rate fell to 5.4% in 2020 from 8.9% in 2012
Interpretation
High School Graduation Interpretation
While the overall graduation trend for Hispanic students is a rising tide that lifts most states, it still leaves stubborn pockets of educational inequality stranded on the shore, particularly for young men, English learners, and those in under-resourced schools.
05 · Category
K-12 Enrollment20 stats
01
In 2021-22, Hispanic students made up 27.0% of public school enrollment in the U.S.
02
Hispanic enrollment in public elementary/secondary schools reached 13.6 million students in fall 2020
03
From 2010 to 2020, Hispanic public school enrollment grew by 1.3 million students
04
In 2022, 54% of Hispanic students attended schools where minority students were the majority
05
Hispanic pre-K enrollment was 22% in 2019, higher than non-Hispanic whites at 18%
06
In California, Hispanics comprised 54.5% of K-12 public school enrollment in 2021-22
07
Texas had 5.5 million Hispanic K-12 students in 2022, 53% of total enrollment
08
Hispanic kindergarten enrollment rate was 95% for 3-5 year olds in 2019
09
In 2020, 28% of Hispanic students were in high-poverty schools vs. 8% of whites
10
Florida's Hispanic K-12 enrollment hit 1.0 million in 2022, 36% of total
11
Hispanic students in charter schools: 32% of enrollment in 2019-20
12
New York had 1.1 million Hispanic K-12 students in 2021, 27% share
13
Hispanic ELL students numbered 4.9 million in 2020-21, 78% of ELLs
14
In Arizona, Hispanics were 44% of K-12 enrollment in 2022
15
Hispanic homeschooling rates rose to 11% during COVID-19 peak in 2020
16
Illinois Hispanic K-12 enrollment: 1.4 million in 2021-22, 27%
17
Hispanic students in rural schools: 15% of rural enrollment in 2020
18
Nevada's Hispanic share of K-12: 42% in 2022
19
Hispanic private school enrollment: 10% of total private in 2019
20
Colorado Hispanics: 35% of K-12 in 2021-22
Interpretation
K-12 Enrollment Interpretation
The Hispanic student population is not just growing; it is fundamentally reshaping America's educational landscape, now representing over a quarter of all public school students, yet they remain disproportionately funneled into under-resourced schools, a gap that demands our urgent attention.
Reference
Cite This Report
This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.
APA
Gabrielle Fontaine. (2026, February 27). Hispanic Education Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/hispanic-education-statistics
MLA
Gabrielle Fontaine. "Hispanic Education Statistics." Gitnux, 27 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/hispanic-education-statistics.
Chicago
Gabrielle Fontaine. 2026. "Hispanic Education Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/hispanic-education-statistics.
Sources & references
33 datasets cited across this report