The Recruitment and Retention of Hispanic Undergraduate Students in Public Universities in the United States, 2000-2006

Abstract

In many public U.S. universities, Hispanic undergraduates are underrepresented in terms of enrollment and graduation. This mixed-method geographical study investigated whether some public universities outperform others in recruiting and retaining Hispanic undergraduates. The quantitative findings showed that the effect of financial aid and cost-of-attendance variables on the recruitment and retention of Hispanic undergraduates vary by census regions and divisions. The qualitative findings revealed seven key themes to the successful recruitment and retention of Hispanic undergraduates.