Hispanic surge drives record U.S. college enrollment

A rise in the number of minorities, especially Hispanics, has offset the sharp decline of whites attending U.S. colleges and universities, according to a new study.

Using the latest Census data, researchers at the Pew Hispanic Center found that college enrollment among Hispanic young adults alone jumped 24 percent in 2010.

That rise means Hispanics, who have been the largest U.S. minority group since the 2000 U.S. Census, now represent the largest minority group on college campuses, outnumbering blacks for the first time ever.

This represents a historic change, since Hispanics have not traditionally been very good about enrolling in finishing high school, let alone college. Experts say it’s only a matter of time until Hispanics replace African Americans as the number one minority on college campuses.