By Sam Farfan
Access to higher education for Latino students continues to grow more accessible at Long Beach State, as they comprised 51% of the entire fall 2024 undergraduate student body.
According to Institutional Research & Analytics data, there has been an increase of 4,785 undergraduate Hispanic/Latino students, or 35%, since 2018.
Latino students have seen the biggest increase in student enrollment of any race or ethnicity at The Beach, as demonstrated by undergraduate enrollment data.
Graphic credit: Sam Farfan
Before 2018, Rigoberto Rodriguez, department chair of Chicano and Latino studies, said the Latino student enrollment trend had been ongoing for decades.
He believes there are several driving factors for this trend.
“Demographically, more and more Latino/Latina students are graduating from high school than before. Just a demographic shift in the population. Especially here in Southern California, and then even more, especially in the catchment area for CSU Long Beach,” Rodriguez said.
Catchment areas refer to the geographical location surrounding a particular school.
CSULB’s Long Beach College Promise gives first-time freshmen admission consideration if they graduate from a high school in the local CSULB area, as long as they meet the minimum eligibility requirements.
The increased chance of admission consideration is convenient for local Long Beach students as their ability to stay home and commute to CSULB reduces additional housing and tuition costs.
Considering the catchment areas for the university are the city of Long Beach and surrounding cities, the combination of the school’s affordable tuition and rising prestige are motivating factors for local Latino students to attend the university.
As a designated Hispanic Serving Institution since 2005, the university continues to be recognized as an institution that accommodates economically underprivileged students.
“The HSI designation means that CSULB centers efforts on intentionally serving and providing educational opportunities for, and improve the attainment of Latine/x students,” the Office of the Provost website noted.
In 2023, CSULB became one of the 46 recipients of the Seal of Excelencia’s national certification.
The acknowledgement proves the school’s distinguished commitment to improving the school’s retention, financial support and degree completion rates for Latino students beyond enrollment numbers.
This is reflected in the increasing six-year graduation rate for Latinos. The rate jumped from 48.7% in 2011 to 70.3% in 2020.
Applications for the HSI and Seal of Excelencia titles were made by professors and faculty in the Chicano and Latino Studies Department over the years, aiding in CSULB’s national recognition.
Rodriguez said there is a range in student diversity within the Latino student population. He stated there are higher rates of Central American students enrolling, as well as an increase in second and third generation college students attending CSULB.
“We are a rare find, right? Especially when you have prestige that comes from your research, but also from the affordability as well,” Rodriguez said.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2024 population estimates, Long Beach’s population is 43.4% Hispanic/Latino.
