Every year in September, the US celebrates Hispanic-Serving Institutions Week to honor and uplift colleges and universities that excel in their support of Hispanic students. Higher education institutions gain HSI status when 25% of their undergraduate student body identifies as Hispanic or Latino, but many colleges go above and beyond this minimum classification to ensure the success of these students through programming and student life opportunities. Start exploring amazing HSIs this week with these schools in the northeastern US. You can request more information from any HSI below by clicking the green “Connect me” buttons.
Sources: All of the following colleges and universities are designated as HSIs by the Hispanic Association of Colleges & Universities. Additional information is derived from college and university websites, ColleXpress school profiles, and the National Center for Education Statistics.
Caldwell University
Caldwell University is a private Catholic liberal arts college in Caldwell, New York—20 miles from New York City. Designated as a College of Distinction, Caldwell offers its student body of 2,300 undergraduate and graduate students more than 65 academic programs, 40+ student clubs, a student-faculty ratio of 13:1, and more. Students come from over 40 countries to study at the University and benefit from scholarships that range up to full tuition as well as affiliate programs with other universities for a wider range of challenging academic offerings.
Caldwell fast facts
- Undergraduate Hispanic enrollment: 31%
- Hispanic-serving organizations: National Society of Leadership and Success, Psi Sigma Phi Multicultural Fraternity, Social Justice Club
- Resources for Hispanic student success: Network for Excellence in Undergraduate Success (NEXUS) Program, Educational Opportunity Fund (EOF), The HITEC Foundation Scholarship
The College of Staten Island, CUNY
The College of Staten Island is a City University of New York public liberal arts college in Staten Island, New York. The College offers its 10,200+ students a choice of 52 majors and 58 minors in 23 fields of study and a 16:1 student-faculty ratio with professors who are experts in their fields. CSI is also home to the Macaulay Honors College University Scholars Program, which provides high-achieving students with a curriculum of innovative and challenging courses during their first and second years of study.
CSI fast facts
- Undergraduate Hispanic enrollment: 27%
- Hispanic-serving organizations: Spanish Club, Black and Latino Urban Male Initiative
- Resources for Hispanic student success: The Office of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion; Hispanic Heritage Month events and speakers; Hispanic Educational Technology Services (for adult learners)
Felician University
Felician University is a private Catholic liberal arts university in Lodi, New Jersey—15 miles from New York City. The University offers 60 career-focused programs through four academic schools to help its 2,100+ students find their way to success. Motivated, high-achieving Felician students can enrich their college experience through the Honors Program, which offers smaller classes that allow for close interaction with professors and independent scholarly research with faculty guidance.
Felician fast facts
- Undergraduate Hispanic enrollment: 41%
- Hispanic-serving organizations: Artemisia Chapter of Mu Sigma Upsilon, Omega Phi Chi Multicultural Sorority, National Society of Leadership and Success
- Resources for Hispanic student success: CARE Team, Hispanic Heritage Month Celebrations, Career & Experiential Learning Center
Iona University
Iona College is a coeducational liberal arts college founded in the Roman Catholic tradition and located in New Rochelle, New York. The College enrolls approximately 4,000 undergraduate and graduate students from diverse backgrounds and 43 countries while offering more than 60 combined programs of study in the School of Arts & Science and the School of Business. Students can also get involved with 80 campus clubs, NCAA Division I athletics, hands-on academic facilities, and more.
Iona fast facts
- Undergraduate Hispanic enrollment: 27%
- Hispanic-serving organizations: Lambda Theta Alpha Latin Sorority, Bailando con Sazón, Organization of Latinx American Students
- Resources for Hispanic student success: Student Life Diversity Committee, Hispanic Heritage Month celebrations, Hispanic Association of Colleges and University, Hispanic Alliance for Career Enhancement, TRIO Student Support Services
Kean University
Kean University is a public university in Union, New Jersey—just 12 miles from New York City. Named the most affordable comprehensive school in New Jersey and one of the top five most diverse campuses in the US, Kean offers 50+ undergraduate majors and 70+ graduate degree options to over 16,000 students. Students enjoy a vibrant mix of academic, social, and cultural activities, with opportunities to get involved both on and off campus and access to résumé-building internships.
Kean fast facts
- Undergraduate Hispanic enrollment: 36%
- Hispanic-serving organizations: Chi Upsilon Sigma National Latin Sorority, Dominican Student Association, Ecuadorian Student Association, Lamda Theta Alpha Sorority, Lamda Theta Phi Latin Fraternity, Lambda Upsilon Lambda Fraternity, Latin American Student Organization, Mexican American Student Association, NJ Salsa @ KU, Peruvian Inclusive Community Association, Portuguese Club, Venezuelan-Colombian Student Association
- Resources for Hispanic student success: Office of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion; Supera Spanish Speaking Program; Project Adelante pre-college program, Computing Alliance of Hispanic-Serving Institutions, Hispanic Heritage Month celebrations
Manhattanville University
Manhattanville University is a private liberal arts college in Purchase, New York—approximately 25 miles from New York City. With an enrollment of more than 2,500 students, Manhattanville offers 50+ undergraduate areas of study and 70+ graduate programs, degrees, and certificates reinforced by internships, career counseling, mentors, and networking opportunities. The College has a long history of rewarding students of high academic achievement regardless of financial need, and each applicant is automatically evaluated for merit awards.
Manhattanville fast facts
- Undergraduate Hispanic enrollment: 32%
- Hispanic-serving organizations: International Students Clubs, Latin American Student Organization, Latin Fusion Dance Team
- Resources for Hispanic student success: The Center for Inclusion, The Center for Career Development, Changing Suburbs Institute, Hispanic Heritage Month events
Connect me with Manhattanville!
Mercy University
Mercy University is a non-sectarian comprehensive college in Dobbs Ferry, New York—with branch campuses in the Bronx, Manhattan, and Yorktown Heights. The College’s five schools offer more than 90 degree and certificate programs—including 40 fully online—to nearly 9,000 total students. At Mercy, students are taught by Fulbright scholars and leading experts in their fields, mentored on a personal level every step of their college journey, and engaged in every aspect of their lives from career development to clubs and sports.
Mercy fast facts
- Undergraduate Hispanic enrollment: 47%
- Hispanic-serving organizations: Association of Latino Professionals for America, Latin American Student Organization, First Generation Club, Minority Association for Pre-Medical Students
- Resources for Hispanic student success: Advancing Curricular Change to Enhance Student Success (ACCESS) Program, the Arthur O. Eve Higher Education Opportunity Program, TRiO Student Support Services Program, Hispanic Heritage Month celebrations
Molloy University
Molloy University is a private Catholic liberal arts university in Rockville Centre, New York—only 25 miles east of New York City. With 4,900 students on campus and a 10:1 student-faculty ratio, Molloy offers more than 50 programs, many of which are nationally accredited. The University continues to expand its flexible learning options for many of its programs so students can take night, weekend, hybrid, or online classes.
Molloy fast facts
- Undergraduate Hispanic enrollment: 25%
- Hispanic-serving organizations: Siena Center for Social Justice, Unión Hispana
- Resources for Hispanic student success: The 100 Hispanic LI Scholarship program, Hispanic Literature & Culture academics programs, TRIO Student Success Program, Reach Out and Report System, DEI Grant Program
Rhode Island College
Rhode Island College is a public comprehensive university in a residential area of Providence, Rhode Island. RIC’s 7,000 students pursue more than 90 majors and concentrations through five schools in classes with an average of 20 students. The College and its Providence location offers 1,600+ opportunities for internships, research, and study abroad as well as a robust honors program in which students can craft independent projects tailored to their specific interests.
RIC fast facts
- Undergraduate Hispanic enrollment: 26%
- Hispanic-serving organizations: Ballroom Dance Club (includes Latin dance), Latin American Student Organization, Multicultural Student Nurse Organization, UNIDOS Spanish Club
- Resources for Hispanic student success: Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion; guest speaker events; Hispanic Heritage Month celebrations
Rutgers University–Newark
Rutgers University—Newark is a public research university in Newark, New Jersey. With an enrollment of more than 13,000+ students, RU–N’s undergraduate, graduate, professional, and joint-degree programs span more than 100 areas of study within seven schools and colleges. Students benefit from small class sizes, funded research opportunities, and inspiring internships with local businesses and Fortune 500 companies.
RU–N fast facts
- Undergraduate Hispanic enrollment: 35%
- Hispanic-serving organizations: Association of Latin American Law Students, Association of Latino Professionals for America, ColorStack, Dominican Talks, La Unidad Latina Lambda Upsilon Lambda Fraternity, Lambda Sigma Upsilon Latino Fraternity, Lambda Theta Phi Latin Fraternity, Latin American Association, Latinos United Networking America, Omega Phi Chi Sorority, Peruvian American Cultural Association, Sigma Lambda Epsilon/Señoritas Latinas Unidas Sorority,
- Resources for Hispanic student success: Intercultural Resource Center, RU Bilingual Network, HSI Equity Innovation Hub, Undocumented Student Services, The Dreamer Lounge
University of Connecticut
The University of Connecticut is a public comprehensive institution in Storrs, Connecticut—30 miles from Hartford. UConn offers more than 115 undergraduate majors across 10 schools and colleges spanning Agriculture & Natural Resources, Liberal Arts, Sciences, Business, Education, Engineering, Fine Arts, Nursing, and Pharmacy. Nearly 18,500+ undergraduates are involved in more than 700 clubs and organizations, 21 Division I variety athletic teams, and opportunities to work with the University’s 1,600+ faculty members.
UConn fast facts
- Undergraduate Hispanic enrollment: 35%
- Hispanic-serving organizations: Afro-Latinx Alliance, Bringing Awareness Into Latino Ethnicities (BAILE), Brazilian Student Association, Central American Student Association, Comidas of Our Kitchen (COOK), Creating a Male Initiative Into Ourselves, DeColores Collective, Distinguished and Motivated Academic Scholars (DAMAS), Diversity Alliance, Dominican Student Association, Ecuadorian Student Association, El Club de Español, Latino Students Association, Leadership in Diversity, Manas at UCONN, Mexican Student Association, Peruvian Student Association, PorColombia, Portuguese Student Association, Puerto Rican Student Association, Society for Black and Latinx Student Pharmacists, UndocuHuskies
- Resources for Hispanic student success: The Puerto Rican/Latin American Cultural Center; Spanish Resources Center; Center for Truth, Racial Healing, and Transformation; the Latine Community
William Paterson University of New Jersey
William Paterson University of New Jersey is a public multipurpose university in Wayne, New Jersey—only 20 miles west of New York City. The University offers nearly 150 bachelor’s, master’s, and certificate programs through four academic schools and over 100+ campus clubs to nearly 10,000 students. Undergraduates have many opportunities for experiential learning, with a science complex and numerous labs, TV and radio broadcast studios, animation and graphic design labs, and more on campus.
William Paterson fast facts
- Undergraduate Hispanic enrollment: 34%
- Hispanic-serving organizations: Brothers for Awareness, Chi Upsilon Sigma National Latin Sorority, First-Gen Student Club, Lambda Theta Alpha, Lambda Upsilon Lambda, Minority Association of Pre-Medical Students, Organization of Latin American Students
- Resources for Hispanic student success: The Black and Latino Male Initiative, Access to STEM Pathways through Integrated Research and Engagement (ASPIRE) Program, Academic Success Center, Latin American and Latinx Studies Program, Educational Opportunity Fund Program, The Center for Diversity & Inclusion, The Center for Latinidad, Latinidad Heritage Celebration
Connect me with William Paterson!
Western Connecticut State University
Western Connecticut State University is a public comprehensive university with two campuses in Danbury, Connecticut. Through the Schools of Business, Arts & Sciences, Professional Studies, and Visual & Performing Arts, the University offers 50 academic majors in a variety of fields. WCSU also supports its 3,700+ undergraduates by offering 75 student clubs and organizations; a strong honors program and helpful Career Success Center; tuition discounts for students from New England states, plus New York and New Jersey; and other opportunities for academic success.
West Conn fast facts
- Undergraduate Hispanic enrollment: 27%
- Hispanic-serving organizations: African Caribbean Student Association, Latin American Student Organization, Intercultural Student Union, Minorities in Medicine
- Resources for Hispanic student success: The Office of Intercultural Affairs; Hispanic Heritage Month events; Undocumented Student Support Services, including institutional financial aid
Want to learn more about HSIs in general and what they stand for? Check out our article Hispanic–Serving Institutions 101: What Students Should Know.
