Best Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs) 2026

There are about 600 federally designated Hispanic-Serving Institutions in the US — colleges where 25% or more of full-time undergraduates are Hispanic. The HSI designation unlocks Title V federal funding for student support programs (academic advising, summer bridge programs, STEM pipelines for first-gen Latino students), and many of these schools have built nation-leading programs around it. HSIs enroll over two-thirds of all Latino undergraduates in the US. The list below is the top 10 by academic reputation, graduation rate, and program strength — not just Hispanic enrollment percentage.

#1
University of Texas at Austin
Austin, TX
Texas's flagship and one of the country's top public R1 universities. Became HSI in recent years as Hispanic enrollment crossed 25%. McCombs (business), Cockrell (engineering), and Moody (communication) are nationally elite. In-state tuition is frozen at ~$11k through 2026-27 — one of the strongest ROI deals in higher ed.
31.8% acceptance$11,448 in-state$41,070 out-of-stateFull profile →
#2
University of California-Irvine
Irvine, CA
Top-tier UC, R1 research. Strong in computer science, biological sciences, pre-med, and business. Orange County location with strong Big Tech recruiting. Long-standing HSI with deep institutional support for first-gen students.
28.6% acceptance$15,722 in-state$49,922 out-of-stateFull profile →
#3
University of California-Santa Barbara
Santa Barbara, CA
Top-25 nationally. R1. Physics, materials science, environmental studies, and economics are flagship programs. Coastal campus. Joined the HSI ranks several years ago and has invested heavily in Latino student-success programs.
33% acceptance$16,414 in-state$50,614 out-of-stateFull profile →
#4
University of California-San Diego
La Jolla, CA
Top-25 nationally. R1. Engineering, biological sciences, oceanography, and pre-med dominate. La Jolla. Became HSI recently as Hispanic enrollment hit 25%; the change unlocked new federal STEM-pipeline funding.
26.7% acceptance$16,758 in-state$50,958 out-of-stateFull profile →
#5
University of California-Davis
Davis, CA
Top-30 nationally. R1. The veterinary medicine and agricultural sciences programs are #1 and #1-2 in the country, respectively. Strong in food science, environmental policy, and pre-health. Sacramento-area.
41.8% acceptance$16,774 in-state$50,974 out-of-stateFull profile →
#6
University of California-Riverside
Riverside, CA
R1 and a longstanding HSI. UCR's School of Medicine specifically recruits and trains physicians who will practice in underserved Inland Empire communities. Strong pre-med, business, and biological sciences. One of the best UCs for accessibility (higher admit rate than Berkeley/UCLA/Irvine).
76.4% acceptance$15,606 in-state$49,806 out-of-stateFull profile →
#7
Florida International University
Miami, FL
Miami's R1. The largest HSI by enrollment (~56,000 students). Strong in international business, hospitality management, engineering, and architecture. Bilingual academic environment is a genuine differentiator.
54.7% acceptance$6,565 in-state$18,964 out-of-stateFull profile →
#8
University of Central Florida
Orlando, FL
Orlando. R1. One of the largest universities in the US (~70,000 students). Top programs in optics & photonics (the CREOL center is world-leading), hospitality, simulation engineering, and digital media. Recently HSI as Florida demographics shifted.
40.1% acceptance$6,368 in-state$22,467 out-of-stateFull profile →
#9
University of Houston
Houston, TX
Houston's R1 flagship. Strong in engineering (especially petroleum), business, hospitality, and pharmacy. Urban location with deep Texas-energy-industry recruiting. Long-standing HSI with strong Mexican-American Studies department.
73.9% acceptance$9,717 in-state$22,547 out-of-stateFull profile →
#10
The University of Texas at El Paso
El Paso, TX
UTEP is an R1 that punches well above its weight in engineering — particularly mining, metallurgical, and environmental engineering. The undergraduate population is ~85% Hispanic; the institutional knowledge of how to support first-gen Latino students into STEM careers is unmatched.
99.9% acceptance$9,744 in-state$25,502 out-of-stateFull profile →

How we ranked

We weigh academic reputation (US News, Carnegie classification), graduation rate, post-grad earnings (College Scorecard), research output (R1/R2 status), and program-specific strength for Latino students (UCR's pre-med pipeline, UTEP's engineering, FIU's international business, UCF's optics). All schools on this list hold their HSI designation as of 2024-25 federal reporting.

Last updated: November 2025. Live acceptance rates and tuition pulled from each college's most recent reporting.

Frequently asked

What does the HSI designation mean?

It's a federal designation given to accredited colleges where 25%+ of full-time undergraduates are Hispanic. The designation unlocks Title V grant funding (about $200 million distributed annually) for academic support programs, STEM pipelines, summer bridge programs, and first-gen advising. The designation says nothing about admissions — HSIs accept students of any background.

Do I need to be Hispanic to attend or get scholarships at an HSI?

No. HSIs admit students of any race or ethnicity. Some Title V-funded scholarships at HSIs are open to all students; others are specifically targeted at Latino students, first-gen students, or students from underrepresented backgrounds. Read the eligibility on each scholarship.

Are HSIs academically rigorous?

Varies by school, same as any other category. The list above includes 7 R1 research universities and 3 schools ranked in US News' top 50 nationally. UT Austin, UCSB, UCSD, and UC Irvine are nationally competitive in their flagship programs. UTEP outperforms many non-HSIs in engineering placement.

What financial aid is specific to Latino students?

The Hispanic Scholarship Fund (HSF) is the largest provider — $50 million+ awarded annually. The Gates Scholarship covers full cost of attendance for outstanding minority students. Many HSIs also have institution-specific scholarships funded through Title V grants. See our /scholarships page for a filterable list.