10 Hispanic-Serving Institutions with Strong Computer Science Programs
Despite comprising almost 18% of the U.S. workforce, Hispanic and Latinx professionals only make up around 6% of software engineering and computer scientist roles. With Hispanic and Latinx individuals vastly underrepresented in tech, it’s essential for employers to develop strategies to connect with these candidates at the entry-level. One way employers can increase representation in this field is by forming relationships with Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs), or colleges with 25% or more Hispanic and Latinx students, and emerging HSIs, schools with 15% to 24% Hispanic and Latinx population. HSIs house more than two-thirds of all Hispanic and Latinx students in the country, and many of them have extremely strong Computer Science programs.
To give you an idea of the best HSIs and emerging HSIs with CS programs, we’ve taken a deeper look at 10 – all of which are in the top 200 CS programs in the country. If you’re an employer looking to recruit a pipeline of talented candidates from all backgrounds, these HSIs should be on your list.
Florida International University
Location: Miami, FL
Size of undergraduate student body: 49,004
Percentage of Hispanic/Latinx students enrolled: 61%
School type: Public
Florida International University is ranked 133rd in the nation for best CS program. More than 400 CS students graduate each year and the school has won many national prestigious awards, such as IEEE Fellow, MAs Fellow, ACM Taylor Booth Award, and others. And with two-thirds of the student population being Hispanic and Latinx, FIU is a national leader in graduating Hispanic and Latinx students.
New Mexico State University
Location: Las Cruces, New Mexico
Size of undergraduate student body: 11,675
Percentage of Hispanic/Latinx students enrolled: 62.9%
School type: Public
New Mexico State University is also ranked 133rd in the nation for best CS program. The school recently received a grant for Collaborative Research: Preference Elicitation and Device Scheduling for Smart Home, and a dozen other grants and international awards. New Mexico State also has a small student-to-faculty ratio for a personalized learning experience.
Texas A&M University
Location: College Station, TX
Size of undergraduate student body: 53,791
Percentage of Hispanic/Latinx students enrolled: 22.5%
School type: Public
Texas A&M University is an emerging HSI and is ranked 43rd in the nation for best CS program. The school offers 5 different CS degrees, along with fast track course plans and study abroad opportunities. The Peer Teacher program – where high-performing undergrads assist other students with coursework – is another valuable asset since these students are more sought after and hired after graduating.
University of Arizona
Location: Tucson, AZ
Size of undergraduate student body: 35,801
Percentage of Hispanic/Latinx students enrolled: 28.3%
School type: Public
University of Arizona is also ranked 43rd in the nation for best CS program. The school has received dozens of departmental awards and has gained national recognition for its excellence in systems, software, databases, and theory. It’s ranked the best CS program for its size with faculty members serving as editorial boards on program committees and national computing organizations.
University of California - Berkeley
Location: Berkeley, CA
Size of undergraduate student body: 31,780
Percentage of Hispanic/Latinx students enrolled: 16.9%
School type: Public
University of California, Berkeley is another emerging HSI and ranked 1st in the nation for best CS program. The Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences department is responsible for founding over 118 startups and even received a $2 Million grant from the Hopper-Dean Foundation to support gender and ethnic diversity initiatives in CS.
University of California, Irvine
Location: Irvine, CA
Size of undergraduate student body: 30,382
Percentage of Hispanic/Latinx students enrolled: 23.3%
School type: Public
University of California, Irvine is ranked 30th in the nation for best CS program. With more than 2,000 undergraduates and 56 faculty in the department, the school is incredibly large with an extensive program. Students are not only trained in the core CS areas, but they’re also offered courses in biomedical informatics, data mining, security and privacy, and more.
University of California, Riverside
Location: Riverside, CA
Size of undergraduate student body: 22,055
Percentage of Hispanic/Latinx students enrolled: 41.5%
School type: Public
University at California, Riverside is ranked 61st in the nation for best CS program. Because of its strong curriculum, the school recently received funds to grow the number of women in computing. The National Center for Women & Information Technology gave $10,000 to launch outreach initiatives, and the program is led by two award-winning female professors.
University of Puerto Rico, Mayaguez
Location: Mayaquez, Puerto Rico
Size of undergraduate student body: 12,099
Percentage of Hispanic/Latinx students enrolled: 92.2%
School type: Private
The University of Puerto Rico, Mayaguez is ranked 169th in the nation for best CS program. Along with its degree program, the school has created the UPRM Hacks 2020 Summer Camp, where college students worked with high school students from all over Puerto Rico. Over the course of the camp, students designed and created original smartphone apps using the MIT App Inventor platform.
University of Southern California
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Size of undergraduate student body: 20,351
Percentage of Hispanic/Latinx students enrolled: 15%
School type: Private
University of Southern California is an emerging HSI and is ranked 20th in the nation for best CS program. The Viterbi School of Engineering is one of the country’s most innovative computer research institutes led by faculty experts in AI, graphics, and virtual reality. And the schools Industry Affiliate Program connects CS students with industry leaders to help streamline the hiring process post graduation.
University of Texas at El Paso
Location: El Paso, TX
Size of undergraduate student body: 21,427
Percentage of Hispanic/Latinx students enrolled: 81.6%
School type: Public
University of Texas at El Paso is also ranked 169th in the nation for best CS program. Along with a competitive degree, students can also choose a concentration in Secure Cyber-Systems, Software Engineering, and Data Analytics. The school also has a UTEP CS program, which is actively working to increase the number of Hispanic women in CS through seminars and other outreach initiatives.
As CS programs become more competitive across the country, schools are increasing their diversity and inclusion efforts to support the advancement of minority students. This means more grants, more community outreach programs, and more affiliate programs that connect students with industry professionals. Employers that are serious about building representative technical teams should be proactive about building relationships and establishing a presence on these campuses.
Want more tips for recruiting at Hispanic-Serving Institutions? Download our guide here.
