Although most colleges successfully “level the playing field” across students because they give greater value-added to young people from low-income families, a new study has found that religious schools and universities in Florida and California top the list of Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs) with the highest payoff.
According to the data reporting team, to highlight colleges with the highest payoff for Latino students, OnlineU (previously Guide to Online Schools) looked at which HSIs serve higher rates of Hispanic undergraduate students where alumni earn higher median salaries compared to other bachelor’s graduates in their state.
The study found a handful of universities in Florida and California offered higher earnings for graduates. Six religious schools, including four Catholic universities, also offered higher payoffs for alumni.
The top HSIs with the highest payoff include Florida International University (FIU), College of Mount Saint Vincent, Arizona State University – West Campus, California Lutheran University, California State Polytechnic University-Pomona, University of Houston, Mount Saint Mary’s University, Trinity International University, and University of St Thomas.
FIU, which hosts the largest share of Hispanic or Latino students of the schools on the list, awarded 1,370 bachelor’s degrees in psychology in 2020, the highest rate of any undergraduate program that year. Other popular majors included biology, finance, and hospitality administration.
FIU graduates earn a median of nearly $49,000 after college and see more than $6,500 above the state average for bachelor’s graduates.
In 2019, top majors for Arizona State University – West Campus (ASU-West) graduates included business and psychology at the bachelor’s level based on Lightcast data. Alumni here earned a median of $50,364 compared to the estimated state median of nearly $47,000 for bachelor’s graduates.
California State Polytechnic University – Pomona graduates see a median salary of about $4,000 more than is typical for bachelor’s alumni in California. Hospitality administration, psychology, and computer science were some of the top programs.
The University of Houston is one of only two Texas universities to make the list. The school served more than 50,000 students in the 2020-21 school year, with roughly one-third identifying as Hispanic.
With a median alumni salary of $54,500, graduates saw a payoff of about $3,000 compared to other bachelor’s degree holders in the state. Psychology, finance, and accounting were the top three degrees awarded to bachelor’s graduates in 2020, according to Lightcast.
Click here to see the full list of Top HSIs with the Highest Payoff.
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