10 Hispanic-Serving Institutions With Strong STEM Programs

Despite comprising almost 18.5% of the U.S. workforce, Hispanic and Latinx workers account for only 8% of all STEM workers. With this underrepresentation, it’s essential for companies hiring for science, technology, and engineering roles to craft strategies to diversify their pipeline and increase representation within their teams. While there are several ways to improve the diversity of your pipeline at the entry-level – from partnering with niche organizations to sourcing – one surefire way is to visit campuses with higher populations of underrepresented groups. 

Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs) are non-profit institutions of higher learning with a full-time undergraduate population comprising at least 25% Hispanic students. While there are more than 550 HSIs in the United States made up of varying types of colleges, certain HSIs stand out as leaders in STEM education and can be a great resource for finding talented Hispanic and Latinx candidates with STEM degrees.

Many of these institutions have pre-college prep programs, scholarships and grants for Hispanic students, and specialized STEM resource centers. These 10 schools' emphasis on ensuring Hispanic and Latinx students excel in STEM makes them a great place to look for standout talent. 

California State Polytechnic University, Pomona

Location: Pomona, CA

Size of undergraduate student body: 29,103

Percent of Hispanic/Latinx Students Enrolled: 49%

School type: Public 

Cal Poly Pomona has been ranked by U.S. News as the 6th Best Undergraduate Teaching institution in the country. They also have one of the top-ranked engineering programs in the country, as they graduate around 1 in 14 engineers in the state of California. Some of their most popular majors are Computer Science, Mechanical Engineering, and Civil Engineering. In 2015 they started a STEM Success program to help first-year students be better prepared for their college career in STEM. The program includes a summer orientation, an extraordinary lab experience, an upperclassmen peer mentor, and Friday afternoon meetings to discuss STEM career paths. Cal Poly Pomona was also given a $1 million grant from the NSF to increase retention rates in the STEM fields, which includes strategies like promoting engagement early on, redeveloping courses to be more interactive, and providing first-year research opportunities.

California State University – Fullerton

Location: Fullerton, CA

Size of undergraduate student body: 40,738

Percent of Hispanic/Latinx Students Enrolled: 48%

School type: Public

U.S. News has ranked CSUF as the 42nd-best engineering program in the country. CSUF holds an annual STEM internship and career expo for all students and alums. As part of the expo, students can participate in career fair workshops, resume reviews, and real networking with representatives from STEM-related companies. CSUF also provides cutting-edge opportunities for students, like its Bridges to Stem Cell Research program. This program allows students to get paid internships while gaining experience in this specialized, growing science sector. 

California State University – Long Beach

Location: Long Beach, CA

Size of undergraduate student body: 39,435

Percent of Hispanic/Latinx Students Enrolled: 46%

School type: Public

CSULB is a highly regarded public university ranked in the top 150 National Universities and #64 in Top Public Schools by U.S News and World Report. They prove their strong commitment to Hispanic students in STEM by offering their HSI-STEM Sí Puedo Program, which provides programs and events for students and aims to close the gap in graduation rates of Hispanic and low-income students in STEM. One event is their Bienvenida welcome every fall, where students and their parents can learn more about the STEM fields and what a future STEM career would look like. This completely bilingual event occurs during National Hispanic Heritage Month and exemplifies the culture of support CSULB provides for its Hispanic STEM students. Another example is their EXCEL peer mentor program, where upperclassmen can take a paid position mentoring and tutoring younger students in STEM. 

CUNY Lehman College

Location: Bronx, NY

Size of undergraduate student body: 14,392

Percent of Hispanic Students Enrolled: 57%

School type: Public

CUNY Lehman has a unique program called Pathways to Student STEM Success to specifically raise the number of Hispanic and low-income students graduating with STEM degrees. The program collaborates with two other CUNY schools and focuses on helping students with advising barriers, provides informational major fairs, and enacts an early warning system for students struggling with their program. Similarly, CUNY Lehman offers a Bronx STEM Scholars program to assist students attending a two-year institution with continuing their STEM education. Through this program, students can participate in a summer research opportunity where they receive hands-on experience in their field of choice.

Florida International University

Location: Miami, FL

Size of undergraduate student body: 56,732

Percent of Hispanic Students Enrolled: 68%

School type: Public

At such a large school, grouping STEM students together under one system can be challenging, but FIU found a solution to that through its STEM Transformation Institute. Although the different STEM majors may have different home colleges, the STEM Transformation Institute is there to provide extra learning opportunities and support to any of the over 7,500 STEM students. Through the Institute, students can apply for research funding, collaborate with other organizations in the area, and receive support which increases retention. In July 2019, FIU also announced the addition of two new degree programs that will help students enter the STEM workforce as more well-rounded candidates. The programs aim to provide broader skills in the engineering profession, combining engineering with business, leadership, and entrepreneurship classes.  

New Mexico State University

Location: Las Cruces, NM

Size of undergraduate student body: 13,904

Percent of Hispanic Students Enrolled: 63%

School type: Public

NMSU starts STEM support early on in their community by offering a STEM prep program for middle and high school students. In this program, younger students can participate in STEM-related activities while also being mentored by current NMSU undergrad STEM students and learning about their experiences. At NMSU, nearly three-fourths of students are Hispanic, and 48% of students come from low-income families. To help students receive the training and skills they need to succeed in the STEM fields, NMSU offers a variety of professional development opportunities and resources, such as its S-STEM Scholarship. 

San Diego State University

Location: San Diego, CA

Size of undergraduate student body: 35,732

Percent of Hispanic Students Enrolled: 34%

School type: Public 

SDSU firmly commits to helping its students succeed in STEM after graduation. They have a specialized career center for STEM students which provides help for finding internships and opportunities for post-grad jobs. The career center holds events and career fairs and facilitates networking with alum. SDSU helps students pursuing graduate school, and they have a job board where they post hundreds of jobs in STEM. In 2021, SDSU, in partnership with Southwestern College and San Diego City College, launched a project with a $3.8 million grant to increase the number of Latinx and low-income students successfully transferring and attaining degrees in STEM fields. When students are looking to continue their education at a four-year school, many barriers can get in their way, like getting the correct sequence of courses to transfer credits to the right major. With this grant, students will have more mentorship and support, creating a smoother transition. 

University of California – Merced

Location: Merced, CA

Size of undergraduate student body: 9,093

Percent of Hispanic Students Enrolled: 58%

School type: Public

UC Merced is a popular choice for STEM students, with their top three majors being Biomedical Sciences, Engineering, and Psychology. To support these students, they have a specialized STEM Resource Center, which features a peer mentor program, research opportunities, and unique outreach programs. One of their mentorship programs is specifically for Women in STEM (W-STEM), which creates a welcoming and supportive STEM space on campus. The college also hosts a STEM Camp each summer to expose a diverse slate of middle school students in the area to STEM fields. 

University of California – Riverside

Location: Riverside, CA

Size of undergraduate student body: 26,847

Percent of Hispanic Students Enrolled: 41%

School type: Public

UC Riverside stands out for focusing on facilitating successful transfers into their STEM programs from local community colleges/ HSIs. In 2018, they were awarded a grant for this exact reason, to help underrepresented STEM students at two-year colleges nearby transition to UC Riverside to complete a four-year degree. The grant from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences of the National Institutes of Health is mainly to be used as a bridge program supplying the students with enrichment opportunities, research experience, and special advising and support. The Riverside community also houses a STEM Academy and high school that focuses on getting students in grades 5-12 engaged in STEM and ready to take on higher education. UC Riverside often partners with the Academy for events and activities. One of their notable alums is Nobel Prize-winning chemist Richard Schrock. 

University of Houston

Location: Houston, TX

Size of undergraduate student body: 47,031

Percent of Hispanic Students Enrolled: 37%

School type: Public

At the University of Houston, students can access various resources to help them succeed in STEM fields, including a Scholar Enrichment Program, a support program for students in STEM classes with a high student failure rate. Using peer-to-peer workshops, this program is beneficial for keeping students engaged in STEM majors and increasing their chances of making it to graduation. The UH STEM Center provides online and in-person resources for health and wellness, education, student learning, and parents. It also houses a teachHouston program that focuses on special training for students pursuing a career as a teacher of STEM. This program allows students to teach in elementary, middle, and high schools during undergrad and learn from real-world experiences. 

These schools not only have outstanding STEM programs, but they all focus on supporting their Hispanic students. With specific resources like bridge programs, STEM centers, and grants to keep retention rates up, HSIs have a unique way of uplifting their students. Adding any of these schools to your company’s recruiting strategy will add talented candidates to your pipeline and work to increase the number of diverse candidates in STEM fields. 

Download our guide “Beyond The Ivy League” for more information on expanding your recruitment reach and finding students at the top public schools, HBCUs, and HSIs.