Executive Summary

Latinos have long been significantly underrepresented in bachelor’s degree attainment across the United States. This is especially concerning because Latinos are one of the country’s fastest-growing demographic groups. Community college baccalaureate (CCB) programs—offered in 24 states—present a promising pathway to expand access to affordable, workforce-aligned bachelor’s degrees at community colleges—institutions that often enroll large numbers of Latino students.

This policy brief provides the most updated and comprehensive analysis to date of Latino enrollment, completion, and post-graduation wage outcomes in CCB programs, with a focus on four states—California, Florida, Texas, and Washington—that have large Latino populations and robust CCB infrastructures. Drawing on local, state, and national datasets, the findings reveal that:

• Latino students are enrolling and graduating from CCB programs at promising rates, with representation in some states exceeding their share of the general population. However, disparities in completion rates and wage outcomes persist across states and regions.
• CCB programs offer a cost-effective alternative to traditional four-year institutions, with tuition often less than one third the cost, making them more accessible to low-income and working Latino students.
• Post-graduation wage outcomes for Latino CCB graduates are encouraging, especially in Washington where annualized earnings were comparable to or exceeded those of their peers from traditional universities. Yet, wage gains are uneven and influenced by factors such as geography, program type, and prior work experience.
• Data infrastructure remains fragmented, limiting the ability to track Latino student outcomes consistently across states and over time.

To ensure CCB programs fulfill their potential to close equity gaps in bachelor’s degree attainment, we offer the following policy recommendations:

• Invest in Latino-serving community colleges and CCB programs, with targeted funding, capacity-building, and policy support to expand high-demand degrees and student support services.
• Build and sustain comprehensive, standardized data systems at the local, state, and national levels to monitor Latino student access, success, and post-graduation outcomes in CCB programs.
• Ensure equitable access and outcomes for Latino students by embedding racial equity in program design, implementation, and evaluation—including work-based learning opportunities, internships, career support services, and employer partnerships.

As CCB programs continue to grow, policymakers must act to ensure these degrees serve as a meaningful lever for Latino educational and economic mobility.