Hispanic-Serving Institution

Our initiatives support historically marginalized students.

Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI) initiatives empower Cal Lutheran students by encouraging practices that are fundamental to global leadership and integral to our university mission.

HSIAn HSI is an institution of higher education that has an enrollment of undergraduate full-time equivalent students that is at least 25 percent Latine. To become an HSI, an institution has to apply for designation via the U.S. Department of Education.

Cal Lutheran reached 25 percent Latine in 2013 and obtained HSI Status in 2016. In 2021, almost 39 percent of our student population identified as Latine, an inclusive term used to describe people of all genders that are of Latina/o descent.

HSI designation provides many benefits, including the opportunity to apply for federal funding — Cal Lutheran received over $11 million in federal HSI Title III and Title V grants between 2016 and 2018 to support these initiatives. Learn more about HSIs

Highlighted Developments

Strategic Plan

How will Cal Lutheran build on its HSI status and HSI STEM grant to become Latine serving, rather than just Latine enrolling? This plan charts the course.

Funded Grants

We’ve launched Project CHESS with Moorpark College to support transfer students and EDU|CAL to promote pathways to teaching.

Partners

Our partnerships under Cal Lutheran's HSI designation provide powerful relationships that support students. The STEAM program, powered by Amgen, leads the way forward.

Key Insights

Icon

600

HSIs nationally, including Cal Lutheran,
up from 571 last year

Icon

20%

of higher education institutions across 27 states, D.C. and Puerto Rico are HSIs

Icon

>60%

of all Latine undergraduates in higher education are enrolled at HSIs

Icon

41%

of California's population
identifies as Latine

Icon

39%

of Cal Lutheran's undergraduate student population is Hispanic

Icon

37%

of Cal Lutheran faculty
are people of color

Sources: Excelencia in Education, March 2024; U.S. Census Bureau, 2022; Office of Educational Effectiveness and Institutional Research, November 2024

Recent Reports

U.S. Latino GDP Report

The 2023 U.S. Latino GDP Report provides a factual view of the large and rapidly growing economic contribution of Latinos living in the United States.

Learn more about Latino GDP

2023 Latino GDP Report

©