College Enrollment

Hispanics surpassed blacks in 2010 to become the second largest racial or ethnic group of young people in universities in the United States, according to a new analysis of census data from the table.

The number of Hispanic college students aged 18 to 24 saw a notable increase of 24 percent in one year, 1.8 million, according to a report released Thursday by the Pew Hispanic Center. The Current Population Survey found 7.7 million federal white college students in this age group, 1.7 million students and 800,000 black Americans of Asian origin.

Black students still outnumber Hispanics in the general university population, including older adults.

The population of young Hispanic college students more than doubled since 2000. And the reason is not only the growing population of young Hispanics, which grew by 38 percent at this time.

Hispanics are having success in U.S. schools to unprecedented levels. The participation of Hispanic youth to complete high school hit 73 percent in 2010, compared to 60 percent in 2000, according to census data from the table. The participation of young Hispanics in college got 32 percent last year, an increase of 22 percent in 2000.