Monterey Times

Hispanic students were the most represented ethnicity among students at Monterey County universities in the 2022-23 school year, according to the latest disclosure from the National Center for Education Statistics.

Of the 22,454 students attending institutions in the county at the time, 61.9% were Hispanic. This is an increase of 0.6% in enrollment numbers, compared to the previous year.

White students comprised the second largest ethnic group in the county, followed by students of unknown ethinicity.

Countywide, the number of undergraduates attending the seven universities in the county during the 2022-23 school year fell by 6.5%. Hartnell College reported the largest student body, with 8,892 students.

Graduation rates reveal a significant achievement gap among different ethnicities. While white students graduate at a rate of 62.1%, Black and Hispanic students graduate at a rate of around 40%.

Ethnic Group	% of Total Student Body
Hispanic	61.9%
White	19.2%
Unknown	5.6%
Asian	5.1%
Multiracial	4.3%
Black or African American	1.9%
U.S. nonresident	0.8%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander	0.3%