Abstract
Attendance and graduation rates of Latinos in institutions of higher education in the United States are improving. Educational attainment is critical to upward mobility in the labor market (Kao & Thompson, 2003; Erlach, 2000; Morales, 2000). College completion rates and earning a degree are significant predictors of earning potential and occupational choice (Morales, 2000). The Latino population is growing faster than any other group and has the highest (35.5%) proportion of people younger than age 18 (NCLR, 2001; U.S. Census Bureau, 2000; Schmidt, 2003). This paper reports the results of a descriptive and inferential study, which examined Latino college completers and the differences in completion rates of Latino subgroups when they were classified by their generation status. Specifically, this study focused on the completion of degrees at the associate level and below, research that is lacking in the literature. Findings show: (a) Hispanic achievement and generation status are independent of each other, (b) Hispanics, in general, do not complete postsecondary credentials in large numbers, (c) of those that do finish, some complete programs that lead to diplomas, certificates, and associate degrees (see Table 8), but do not complete programs considered to lead to high-skill, high wage work, (d) completion of programs that lead to diplomas, certificates, and associate degrees declines with length of time in the U.S., and (e) the various Hispanic subgroups differ in the types of programs they pursue and complete.