November 15, 2022
San Diego Mesa College Ranked Among top in U.S. for Hispanic Students
By Via the SDCCD Newsroom
San Diego City College, San Diego Mesa College, and San Diego Miramar College have
been recognized as among the top 100 colleges in the country for enrollment of Hispanic/Latino
students, according to a ranking by Hispanic Outlook on Education Magazine.
Among two-year colleges across the United States, San Diego City College was ranked
35th, while Miramar College was ranked 68th. Mesa College was ranked 45th for four-year colleges and universities.
The figures are based on enrollment during the 2020-21 academic year, using data from
the U.S. Department of Education. Mesa is considered a 4-year college for data purposes
because it offers a bachelor’s degree in Health Information Management.
“The enrollment of Hispanic students at our colleges reflects our service to the San
Diego community, which has a growing Hispanic population,” said SDCCD Chancellor Carlos
O. Cortez. “We’re proud to serve this valued population and provide all our students
with the services and resources they need to succeed in their education.”
All three of the district’s credit colleges have been designated as Hispanic Serving
Institutions by the U.S. Department of Education, making them eligible for grant funding
to expand and improve student access and completion. Each has made the success of
Hispanic students a high priority. Highlights include:
- As the SDCCD’s most diverse college, City College is proud to be formally designated
a Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI)by the United States Department of Education. The purpose of the HSI is to expand educational opportunities and improve the academic attainment of Latinx/Chicanx
and low-income students, and to expand and enhance the academic offerings, program
quality, and institutional stability of colleges and universities that are educating
the majority of Hispanic college students.
- Mesa College was recently awarded a second Title III STEM grant titled, E3: Equity, Excellence, & Éxito. One of the biggest highlights in the first year of
this grant was the Path to STEM Success summer orientation which increased the sense
of belonging in the STEM fields among the students who identified as Latinx.
- Miramar College, along with its recent designation as a Hispanic Serving Institution,
was awarded a $2.7 million DHSI/STEM ÉxitoProject grant from the U.S. Department of
Education. The grant will allow the college to participate in the development of expanding
programs and improving Latinx and low-income students’ success outcomes, specifically
in STEM fields.
- The SDCCD’s noncredit college, San Diego College of Continuing Education, while not
eligible for the Top 100 list, is deeply committed to serving its Latinx students,
which make up 35% of its student body across seven campuses in San Diego.
The Hispanic Outlook on Education is a national monthly magazine that provides education news, resources and trends
impacting students while maintaining a Hispanic perspective.
As one of the largest of California’s 73 community college districts, the San Diego
Community College District serves approximately 100,000 students annually through
three two-year colleges and the San Diego College of Continuing Education. San Diego
City College, San Diego Mesa College, and San Diego Miramar College, offer associate
degrees and certificates in occupational programs that prepare students for transfer
to four-year colleges and entry-level jobs. Mesa College also offers a bachelor’s
degree in Health Information Management. The San Diego College of Continuing Education
offers noncredit adult education at seven campuses throughout San Diego.
Editor’s note: in addition to the SDCCD’s three colleges, other San Diego institutions represented
on the Hispanic Outlook Top 100 lists include Grossmont College (#72), Palomar College
(#21), Southwestern College (#15), UC San Diego (#79), CSU San Marcos (#77) and San
Diego State University (#38).
Tags: Hispanic Serving Institutions, #mesaalumni
