Minority-serving institutions, or MSIs, are an essential part of higher education in the United States. They graduate thousands of students who have historically been marginalized in our society. MSIs include Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs), and Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs). They are predominantly located in the western, southern, and eastern areas of the United States.
The map below shows the location of MSIs awarding engineering bachelor’s degrees to women in the 2021-2022 academic year.
The Higher Education Act of 1965 defines an HBCU as any historically black college or university established before 1964 and whose principal mission is to educate Black Americans. This definition means that the number of HBCUs has not increased over time. HBCUs must be accredited or be making progress toward accreditation. As of 2020, 101 two-year and four-year HBCUs existed in the United States, the District of Columbia, and the Virgin Islands. Of these, 25 awarded bachelor’s degrees in engineering to women in the 2021-22 academic year.
TCUs are formally controlled or chartered by the governing body of a Native American tribe. Navajo Technical University is currently the only TCU that awards bachelor’s degrees in engineering, while others encourage their students to transfer to various four-year colleges to complete their degrees.
HSIs are accredited colleges and universities with 25% or more of the total undergraduate Hispanic full-time equivalent students enrolled. Changing demographics in the U.S. have led to more institutions identifying as HSIs every year. However, due in part to enrollment declines, institutional closings, and consolidations during the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of HSIs has decreased for the first time in 20 years. In 2021, there were 571 two-year and four-year HSIs in the United States and Puerto Rico. Of these, 85 were awarded bachelor’s degrees in engineering in the 2021-22 academic year.
The following table lists all of the MSIs that awarded at least one engineering bachelor’s degree in the 2021-22 academic year to women. Download the table here.
Bachelor’s Degrees Awarded at HBCUs, HSIs, and TCUs, by Number of Degrees Awarded to Black, Hispanic, and American Indian/Alaska Native Women, 2021-2022 Academic Year
Additional Resources
- American Indian Higher Education Consortium. Tribal Colleges and Universities map.
- Excelencia in Education. Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs): 2021-2022.
- National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS).
