Hispanics Lagging Behind in Graduate Education
By: Michelle Raczynski Marketing Communications Specialist National Society of Hispanic MBAs

The graduation rates among Hispanics at the graduate level are tragically low. The GMAC 2002 Global MBA Survey, for example, found that in 2002, only 4.5% of students enrolled in an MBA program were Hispanic - while students who considered themselves white, comprised 84.7% of the MBA student population.

According to the 1999-2000 statistics for the U.S. Department of Education, the total number of Hispanics obtaining their graduate degrees in business was just 4,241. This is in sharp contrast to white, non-Hispanic graduates, who number 73,252, African-Americans at 8,630, and Asian Americans at 7,371.

Ana Herrera-Malone is director of marketing and development for the National Society of Hispanic MBAs (NSHMBA), one of the nation's premier Hispanic business associations: "NSHMBA believes that these numbers can be reversed. We must start by reaching students at high school and college, and encouraging them to continue. Hispanic educators, professionals and thought leaders also must do more to emphasize the importance of education in the corporate world," she explained in a recent interview.

"We know that one of the most important reasons for Hispanics not to attend graduate school is financial need. That is why NSHMBA strives to give away more and more scholarships each year; and this year we will give away $1 million, but that is still not enough," she added.

A study by the American Council on Education found that from 1990 to 1999 the number of Hispanic students enrolled in higher education increased by more than 68 percent. Progress is being made, but with such modest numbers of Hispanic graduates, the rate must continue to climb dramatically in order for Hispanics to be adequately represented in America's corporate boards and among the nation's leadership.