Hispanic Americans Lag in Educational Attainment, Census Data Show

Americans of Hispanic origin continue to lag in terms of their educational attainment, even as their numbers in higher education continue to grow, according to tables of 2007 data released today by the U.S. Census Bureau. Just 19.2 percent of Hispanics age 25 or over had attended college or received an associate degree, while 12.7 percent had a bachelor’s degree or higher, both figures substantially below the national averages. Hispanic women slightly outperformed men, the data show. Another table breaks down the data by place of origin, with Cubans, Puerto Ricans, and South Americans far exceeding the attainments of Mexicans and Central Americans.