New Jersey Institute of Technology has earned the federal distinction of being a Hispanic-Serving Institution — a year earlier than planned.
The U.S. Department of Education defines a Hispanic-Serving Institution, or HSI, as an institution of higher education whose student enrollment is at least 25% Hispanic students. According to NJIT, it achieved this threshold in 25% in the fall of 2022 — while at the same time expanded its total enrollment to over 13,000 students.
A goal outlined in NJIT’s 2025 strategic plan, NJIT said the status is key to the institution deepening its diversity.
“This designation makes us eligible for federal grants that can expand educational opportunities for Hispanic and Latinx students and improve their outcomes,” President Teik 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 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.
