In the past 16 years, the Hispanic population in the commonwealth has tripled, according to a University study released Monday.
The study was directed by Qian Cai, research director for the Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service.
Cai, along with a team of eight researchers, collected and analyzed data from the Census Bureau, including from its 2006 American Community Survey, without performing any independent research.
According to Cai, although the study found that the Hispanic population within the commonwealth is expanding, Virginia's population is still only 6 percent Hispanic compared to 15 percent Hispanic nationwide.
While Cai noted the commonwealth is "not a Hispanic-concentrated state," the study indicates growth will continue.
The study, however, does not stop at population growth; it investigates various characteristics of the commonwealth's Hispanic population. Cai's research suggested Hispanic citizens are more likely to have a college degree than the overall population: About 35 percent of Hispanic citizens earn college degrees compared to 33 percent of the total population. Hispanic citizens also are more likely to have completed some college coursework.
Though Hispanic citizens are above the commonwealth's average in higher education, the percentage of Hispanic citizens without a high school diploma is the same as the commonwealth's average of 15 percent. According to Cai, the educational attainment rates refer to members of the Hispanic population who are 25 years of age or older. These figures also are specific to Hispanic U.S. citizens, not all Hispanic immigrants.
For the University community, the surge in number of Hispanics participating in higher education is not just a statistic, Dean of Admissions John Blackburn said.
"Thirty years ago there was hardly one Hispanic applicant from Virginia," Blackburn said, adding that an occasional Hispanic student would apply from a different state.
Now, however, the Office of Admissions reports that 18,048 students applied to the University for entry in fall 2007. Of those students, 736 were Hispanic or Latino.
These numbers have increased for fall 2008, with 889 Hispanic or Latino students applying, Blackburn said. The Admissions Office has not yet determined the total number of applicants for the fall semester.
Blackburn said he expects to see an increase in the number of Hispanic applicants in the coming years as a result of the increasing Hispanic population within the commonwealth.
"We're just looking for a diverse class" he said. "That's important to us"
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