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Latino Studies

Types of Degrees Latino Studies Majors Are Earning

Students pursuing Latino Studies have the option of earning degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Associate’s Degree	5
Bachelor’s Degree	563
Master’s Degree	116
Doctor’s Degree	14

What Latino Studies Majors Need to Know

Coursework for Latino Studies build a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Latino Studies graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

This major prepares you for careers needing Latino Studies emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Education and Training — Importance 4.6 / 5; level 6 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 4.6 / 5; level 6.0 / 7.
• Sociology and Anthropology — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 5.1 / 7.
• History and Archeology — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Foreign Language — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

The skill set built by a Latino Studies program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Reading Comprehension — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Instructing — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Active Learning — Importance 4 / 5; level 4 / 7.

Abilities

The cognitive and physical abilities most relevant to Latino Studies careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Expression — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 5 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Speech Clarity — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Latino Studies graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Training and Teaching Others	4.6 / 7
Getting Information	4.5 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.5 / 7
Thinking Creatively	4.4 / 7
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	4.3 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	4.3 / 7
Developing Objectives and Strategies	4.2 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	4.1 / 7
Documenting/Recording Information	4.1 / 7
Coaching and Developing Others	4.1 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Latino Studies professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Windows	Operating system software	—
Google Drive	Cloud-based data access and sharing software	—
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	—
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	—
Social media software	Web page creation and editing software	—
Learning management system LMS	Computer based training software	—
DOC Cop	Information retrieval or search software	—
Calendar and scheduling software	Calendar and scheduling software	—
Blackboard Learn	Computer based training software	—
Collaborative editing software	Word processing software	—
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	—
Image scanning software	Optical character reader OCR or scanning software	—

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Latino Studies graduates include:

• Lecturer
• Ethnology Professor
• African Studies Professor
• University Faculty Member
• Ethnic Origins Teacher
• Adjunct Professor
• Ethnic Studies Teacher
• Black Studies Professor
• Women’s Studies Professor
• Gender Studies Lecturer
• College Professor
• American Studies Professor
• Faculty Lecturer
• Associate Professor
• Asian Studies Professor

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Latino Studies graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Doctoral degree	60.5%
Master’s degree	31.0%
Post-doctoral training	4.0%
Post-master’s certificate	3.2%
First professional degree	1.1%
High school diploma or equivalent	0.2%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in Latino Studies?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly female, with women earning 71.3% of Latino Studies degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	498	71.3%
Men	200	28.7%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Latino Studies graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	26	3.7%
Asian	3	0.4%
Hispanic or Latino	636	91.1%
Black or African American	1	0.1%
American Indian / Alaska Native	1	0.1%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	1	0.1%
Two or More Races	4	0.6%
Race Unknown	11	1.6%
International Students	15	2.1%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Latino Studies Graduates Earn?

Federal data tracks median earnings of Latino Studies graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. These numbers tend to grow steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$32,619
4 years	$46,128
5 years	$53,144

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $53,144 — roughly 63% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Online Latino Studies Programs

Online study is reported by IPEDS for Latino Studies. The table below shows how many graduates earned at least some of their coursework online (Distance-Ed Available) versus completing the entire program online (Distance-Ed Only).

Award Level	Distance-Ed Available	Distance-Ed Only
Associate’s	1	2
Bachelor’s	2	3
Master’s	1	0

^{Distance-Ed Only = degrees completed entirely online; Distance-Ed Available = degrees including at least some online coursework. Source: IPEDS Completions by Distance Education status.}

Is a Degree in Latino Studies Worth It?

Looking purely at the federal earnings tracker, Latino Studies graduates earn a median of $46,128 four years after completion — roughly 21% above the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000).

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	CIP Code
Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies	05.02
African-American/Black Studies	05.0201
American Indian/Native American Studies	05.0202
Asian-American Studies	05.0206
Comparative Group Studies	05.0212
Deaf Studies	05.0211
Disability Studies	05.0210
Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies, Other	05.0299
Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies	05.0200
Folklore Studies	05.0209
Gay/Lesbian Studies	05.0208
Women’s Studies	05.0207

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.