NJIT Earns Hispanic-Serving Status from US Dept. of Education
A year earlier than targeted, New Jersey Institute of Technology has earned the federal distinction of being a Hispanic-serving institution (HSI).
A goal outlined in NJIT’s 2025 strategic plan, the status is key to NJIT deepening its diversity and better serving its home city of Newark, New Jersey and the nation. Supporting the goal was the launch of the university’s Hispanic and Latinx Leadership Council, which seeks to fuel the enrollment of Hispanic students and deepen relationships with Hispanic and Latinx alumni, businesses and organizations.
These efforts helped NJIT grow its Hispanic undergrad population from 20% to 25% in the fall of 2022 — just three enrollment cycles while at the same time expanded its total enrollment to over 13,000 students — and enabled the university to reach the eligibility threshold for HSI status. The Office of Postsecondary Education of the U.S. Department of Education confirmed the status in a letter recently.
“This designation makes us eligible for federal grants that can expand educational opportunities for Hispanic and Latinx students and improve their outcomes,” President Teik C. Lim said. “It also reaffirms our commitment to diversify our student body and deliver a holistic education that creates economic opportunity for all of our graduates, particularly first-generation students.”
Nationally, NJIT becomes one of the few colleges or universities that are both Hispanic-serving and operating at the highest tier of research: R1, according to data from the U.S. Department of Education. The R1 pool itself is selective with less than 150 institutions at that level. In addition, NJIT is the only New Jersey university with such dual status.
The HSI achievement comes five months after the university welcomed its largest and most diverse class ever — with underrepresented students comprising half the class — and a year after it earned the federal designation of being a minority-serving institution that serves Asian Americans and Native American Pacific Islanders.
About New Jersey Institute of Technology
New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) is the greatest producer of technological talent and knowledge in New Jersey. NJIT is an R1 (highest) Carnegie Classification research university that drives innovation and economic growth while preparing students to become leaders in the technology-dependent economy of the 21st century. The New York Times college ranking tool rates NJIT No. 1 nationally among all public universities when you prioritize high alumni earnings, economic mobility and academic profile, and The Wall Street Journal rates NJIT No. 19 overall and No. 2 among public universities in the United States. Additionally, NJIT stands among the top 100 universities in the country for alumni mid-career earnings, according to PayScale.com, is ranked No. 35 nationally by The Princeton Review as a Best Value College and is rated among the top 50 public national universities and top 100 overall by U.S. News & World Report.
