Understanding the (Sub)Baccalaureate Origins of Latina/o Doctorates in Education, Humanities, and Social Science Fields

Abstract

Data from the 1980s suggested that small private colleges were the primary entry point to U.S. higher education for Latinas and Latinos who later earned doctorate degrees. However, I show that in the first decade of the 21st century, large percentages of doctorates originated at public universities and community colleges. I suggest that since the 1980s, we may have witnessed a shift in Latina and Latino higher education trajectories, which fits a larger historical pattern in American society-whereby women, racial, ethnic, and religious groups were once excluded but over time made their way into mainstream public education. At a time when public colleges and universities are responding to budget cuts and policy changes by becoming less accessible to low-income and minority students, policy makers should consider the importance of a well-funded, accessible public sector of higher education for preparing the next generation of Latina and Latino scholars.

What's Money Got to Do with It? An Examination of the Relationships between Sources of Financial Support and the Post-Graduation Career Plans of Latina and Latino Doctoral Students in the Social Sciences

“…To address the undergraduate educational experiences part of Tinto's (1993) model, I control for common types of institutions where Latinas and Latinos tend to begin their journeys to the doctorate. Many Latinas and Latinos attend Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs) and community colleges-and students who attend community colleges are more likely to attend public universities (e.g., Castellanos, Gloria, & Kamimura, 2006;Cheslock, 2005;Fernandez, 2018). Therefore, I included a dichotomous variable Attended Community College (0 = No; 1 = Yes) and a categorical variable Baccalaureate Institution (0 = Non-HSI Private; 1 = HSI; 2 = Non-HSI Public) as control variables.…”

Where do Latinas and Latinos earn social science doctorates?

“…During the 1990s, nearly one-quarter of new PhDs who previously attended a community college, earned the doctorate in a social science field (Solórzano et al, 2005). Between 2000 and 2010, a similar descriptive analysis found that just over one-quarter of doctorates in education, humanities, and social science fields had previously attended community colleges (Fernandez, 2018).…”

“…Although selective and private universities may offer a strategic pathway to doctorate degrees, most Americans (especially ethnic or racial minorities) attend other segments of the U.S. higher education system (Deil-Amen, 2015;Scott, 2015). In particular, community colleges and Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs) are important points of entry to U.S. higher education for Latinas and Latinos-especially those who later earn doctorate degrees (e.g., Contreras & Gándara, 2006;Fernandez, 2018;Lundy-Wagner et al, 2013;Solórzano, Rivas, & Velez, 2005).…”