America Counts: Stories Behind the Numbers

The nation’s fast-growing Hispanic population made dramatic strides in educational attainment in recent decades — especially among younger age groups.

The number of people of Hispanic or Latino origin (referred to as the Hispanic population in this article) more than quadrupled from 14.6 million 1980 to 62.1 million 2021, and their share of the U.S. population jumped from 6.2% to 18.7%.

As the Hispanic population grew so did its educational attainment, especially high school graduation rates.

In 1996, 58.2% of the Hispanic population ages 25 to 29 graduated from high school; by 2021, the share increased to 88.5%, according to the U.S. Census Bureau’s Current Population Survey data tables.

Continue reading to learn more about:

• Educational expansion for young Hispanic people
• Increasing college enrollment
• Educational differences between Hispanic origin groups

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