By The Numbers: Education

Executive Summary

Key Facts You Need to Know: Education in AANHPI Communities

1. Budget priority: Many think that the federal government spends too little on key priorities, with education (66%) and healthcare (59%) topping the list.
2. Economic stability: AAPIs strongly believe an education is essential or important for obtaining a job than can comfortably support a family (88%) and increasing wealth and minimizing debt for the long term (86%)
3. Racial and ethnic disparities: Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islanders and several Asian American groups have lower college attainment than the national average
4. Remedial education: Nearly one third of Asian American (30%) and NHPI (31%) first-year undergraduate students report having ever taken remedial classes, on par with the national average of 31%.
5. Financial aid: Two thirds of Asian American students (66%) students and three quarters of NHPI students (74%) receive financial aid. This translates to over 1.3 million Asian American and 111,000 NHPI undergraduate students receiving aid.
6. For-profit colleges: Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander college students have relatively high enrollment in for-profit institutions. Compared to 8% for the national average, nearly 1 in 5 NHPI students (18%) are enrolled in for-profit colleges or universities.
7. Language learners: Over 500,000 Asian American students and almost 33,500 NHPI students are English Language Learners (ELLs) enrolled in public elementary and secondary schools, accounting for almost 1 in 5 Asian American (19%)  and NHPI students (19%).
8. K-12 teaching on racism: Seven in 10 AANHPIs support teaching historical topics such as slavery, racism, and segregation in K-12 schools – an identical share says the same about teaching the history of AANHPI communities.
9. Free speech: More than two thirds of AAPI adults believe that the free exchange of different ideas should be a major purpose of college education.
10. Diversity and equity programs: AAPI adults are opposed to federal cuts to diversity and equity programs. Two-thirds oppose eliminating initiatives that seek to broaden access to federal resources, policies, and programs for Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.

Population Data

Educational Attainment

Asian American and NHPI college students are primarily enrolled in public four-year institutions, while the proportion of NHPI students enrolled in for-profit colleges is much higher than the national average.

• Over 1.6 million Asian Americans and over 41,000 Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders have less than a high school degree; these account for almost 1 in 8 Asian Americans and NHPIs (both at 12%).
• In terms of higher education, over 7 million Asian Americans and almost 70,000 NHPIs have a bachelor’s degree or higher; these account for over 1 in 2 Asian Americans (57%), and about 1 in 5 NHPIs (19%).

• Among Asian Americans, the highest proportion of those with the lowest levels of educational attainment include Bhutanese, Burmese, Mien, and Cambodian. Those with the highest level of educational attainment include Taiwanese, Asian Indian, Kazakh, and Mongolian.
• Among NHPIs, the highest proportion of those with the lowest levels of educational attainment include Marshallese. Those with the highest level of educational attainment include Chamorro and Fijian.

Postsecondary Enrollment

There are significant racial and ethnic disparities in educational attainment, as Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders and several Asian American groups have lower college attainment than the national average.

• Over 1.2 million Asian American students and about 40,000 NHPI students are enrolled in 4-year colleges, accounting for almost three quarters of Asian American students (73%)  and two thirds of NHPI students (65%).
• Enrollment in two-year colleges accounts for 26% of Asian American college students and 32% of NHPI students. In California, however, the proportion in two-year colleges is much higher, at 44% and 50%, respectively.

• While Asian American students are mostly enrolled in public colleges or universities (76%), another 20% are enrolled in private (not-for-profit) colleges or universities.
• College enrollment patterns for Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander students are similar to those of African American students, with enrollment in for-profit colleges much higher (18% and 16%, respectively) than the national average (8%).

Undergraduate Remedial Education

Remedial education, also known as developmental or basic skills education, is designed for students who are not yet prepared for college-level coursework. These courses focus on strengthening foundational skills in math, reading, and writing.

• Over 380,000 Asian American and 40,000 NHPI first-year undergraduate students report ever taking remedial courses. These account for 3 in 10 Asian American (30%) and NHPI (31%) first-year undergraduate students, on par with the national average of 31%.

Undergraduate Financial Aid

• Over 1.3 million Asian American and 111,000 NHPI undergraduate students receive financial aid, accounting for two thirds of Asian American students (66%) students and three quarters of NHPI students (74%).
• Most of this aid comes from federal sources, according to data from the National Center for Education Statistics. About a majority of Asian American (47%) and NHPI (57%) undergraduate students receive financial aid from federal sources. 

• Among full-time, full-year undergraduates, Asian American students were awarded an average of $22,000 and NHPI students were awarded an average of $16,500 in any type of financial aid. 

Students with Accessibility Needs

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) ensures students with disabilities a free and appropriate public education that is tailored to their individual needs.

• Over 213,000 Asian American students and 21,000 NHPI students (ages 3 to 21 years old) are served under IDEA. 

• Among undergraduate students, 1 in 7 Asian American students (14%) and over 1 in 5 NHPI students (22%) have a disability. 

English Language Learners

• Over 500,000 Asian American students and almost 33,500 NHPI students are English Language Learners (ELLs) enrolled in public elementary and secondary schools. These account for almost 1 in 5 Asian Americans (19%)  and NHPI students (19%).

• The most commonly reported home languages of Asian American ELL students include Chinese, Vietnamese, Hmong, Urdu, Korean, and Tagalog.

Bullying and Harassment

• About 7% of Asian and Pacific Islander students (ages 12-18) reported being called hate-related words at school. The specific characteristics that these words were related to typically involved their race or ethnicity. 

• About 1 in 6 (16%) of Asian American teens (ages 12-17) reported being bullied, picked on, or excluded by other youth in the past 12 months. 

Public Opinion Data

Views on Education

• 74% of AANHPIs believe that protecting high-quality public education as a pathway to economic opportunity is a priority (2025 AAPI Policy Priorities Survey)
• AAPIs strongly believe an education is essential or important for obtaining a job than can comfortably support a family (88%), having the ability to change jobs more easily in the long term (88%), increasing wealth and minimizing debt for the long term (86%), and being an informed and engaged citizen (78%) (AAPI Data | AP-NORC poll)
• AAPIs are concerned about increases in student loan debt, restrictions to free speech on college campuses, and federal cuts to university research: AAPIs are extremely or very concerned about increases in student loan debt (63%), restrictions to free speech on college campuses (57%), and federal cuts to university research (56%) (AAPI Data | AP-NORC poll)
• Seven in 10 AANHPIs support teaching historical topics such as slavery, racism, and segregation in K-12 schools – an identical share says the same about teaching the history of AANHPI communities. (AAPI Data | AP-NORC poll)
• Direct engagement with the local school board is low among AANHPI communities, as it is with the general public. Just 13% of AAPI adults report they attended a meeting and 18% reached out to a school board member in the last five years. (AAPI Data | AP-NORC poll)
• Most AANHPIs think skills development (83%), critical thinking (80%), and the free exchange of different ideas (69%) should be a major purpose of a college education, while 51% believe advancing equity and inclusion should be a main priority. (AAPI Data | AP-NORC poll)
• When it comes to creating a respectful and inclusive environment in college settings, AANHPI adults are less likely to perceive the environment as equally inclusive for Asian or Pacific Islander students (31%), Black students (32%), or Hispanic or Latino students (30%) than for white students (48%). (AAPI Data | AP-NORC poll)
• 79% of AANHPIs believe it’s fair for colleges to consider high school grades for admissions, while only 18% think race and ethnicity should be considered. (AAPI Data | AP-NORC poll)

Views on Education Policy

• Many think that the federal government spends too little on key priorities, with education (70%) topping the list. (2026 AAPI Policy Priorities Survey)
• 74% of AAPI adults stated that it is a very high or high priority for Congress to protect high-quality public education as a pathway to economic opportunity. (2025 AAPI Policy Priorities Survey)
• 68% of AAPI adults support increasing government funding to support low-income college students. (2025 AAPI Policy Priorities Survey)
• AANHPI adults show little support for major changes proposed by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) initiative. Just 12% of AANHPI adults support eliminating federal agencies—significantly lower than the 23% of the general population. (AAPI Data | AP-NORC poll)
• Fifty-six percent of AANHPIs adults oppose individual school boards restricting specific subjects and classroom discussions and 35% feel local school boards have too much influence on curricula. Nearly half believe parents (47%) and teachers (48%) have too little influence on public schools’ curricula. (AAPI Data | AP-NORC poll)
• On school safety, 57% of AANHPIs believe mandating mental health counselors is an effective approach to protect children’s safety and well-being. About half consider bullying prevention programs (52%), practicing lockdowns (50%), and employing trained security guards (50%) helpful methods to ensure school safety. (AAPI Data | AP-NORC poll)
• In terms of financing higher education, roughly half of AANHPI adults view state governments (49%) and the federal government (48%) as bearing a large responsibility, while about a third say the same for individuals (36%) and families (32%). (AAPI Data | AP-NORC poll)

Policy Data

Minority Serving Institutions for AANHPIs

Minority-serving institutions are institutions of higher education that serve certain populations of minority students under various programs created by Congress. The Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institutions (AANAPISIs) Program provides grants to institutions serving Asian American and NHPI students and other low-income students recognizing that these populations are underserved and need additional supports. The Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions (AANH) Program includes support for institutions that serve Native Hawaiian students. See the Policy Background section below for more information. 

• In 2024, there were 198 institutions that were eligible for AANAPISI funding. Of these, however, only 54 were receiving AANAPISI funding from the federal government. (Source: US Department of Education, retrieved March 2025)
• While about a third of these funded programs are in California (19 out of 54 nationally), AANAPISIs can be found in a total of 14 states—including Washington (7), New York (4), Massachusetts, Minnesota and Virginia (3 each)—as well as the territories of American Samoa, Palau, and Northern Mariana Islands.
• Currently there are 17 eligible institutes of higher education and 15 of these institutions are funded. Of those colleges and universities that are funded, 11 are in the state of Hawaii.

Policy Background

Key Laws

• Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA): ESEA was enacted in 1965 and is the federal K-12 education law of the United States. ESEA was last reauthorized by the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) in 2015. Although ESSA retained the annual standardized testing requirements from the previous reauthorization (No Child Left Behind), the law moved the federal accountability to the States. States must submit an accountability plan to the U.S. Department of Education which provides feedback and approval. States need to incorporate at least four indicators into their accountability systems. This includes three academic indicators: proficiency on state tests, English-language proficiency, plus another academic factor that can be broken out by subgroup (ex. growth on state tests). States are required to add at least one different indicator such as student engagement, access to and completion of advanced coursework, school climate/safety or another matter determined by the state.
• Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA): IDEA authorizes grant programs that support early interventions and special education services for children with disabilities from birth to age 21. Over 90% of funds are appropriated for grants to states for special education services targeted to school-aged children. States must provide certain substantive and procedural protections for students with disabilities.
• Perkins Career and Technical Education Act: Enacted in 2006, this is the primary federal law supporting career and technical education (CTE) for secondary and postsecondary students, but its origins are from the Smith-Hughes Vocational Education Act from 1917. The Perkins Act was reauthorized by the Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act (Perkins V) enacted in 2018. The purpose of the act is to develop more fully the academic knowledge and technical and employability skills of secondary and postsecondary students who elect to enroll in CTE programs. The largest program under Perkins is the Basic State Grants program that provides formula grants to the states tied to the state’s population and state per capita income. At least 85% of the funds from each state must go to the local level, and state plans to design, implement and support CTE programs must be federally approved. These plans must provide core indicators of performance for accountability measures, and disaggregation of performance data by special populations (e.g. individuals with disabilities or from economically disadvantaged families), and subgroups (e.g., race and ethnicity).
• Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA): This law limits disclosure of student education records to third parties and assures parental access to their children’s education records. The Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment (PPRA) also contains provisions related to the collection of student data.
• Higher Education Act of 1965 (HEA): HEA was enacted in 1965 and last reauthorized by the Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2008 (HEOA). This law governs student aid programs, federal aid to institutions of higher education, and oversight of teacher preparation programs. Pertaining to provisions governing federal student aid financing programs, this law establishes the Federal Pell Grant program that provides need-based grants to low-income undergraduate students and is the largest source of federal aid for post-secondary education. The HEOA included provisions related to financial aid, such as increasing federal Pell Grant maximums and addressing student loan debt. HEOA also requires colleges and universities to develop campus safety plans and to make information about academic programs, graduation rates, financial aid procedures, retention rates, crime reports and other areas to be made public.
  • Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions Program (AANAPISI Program): The AANAPISI program is authorized by the HEOA (HEA, Title III, Part A, Section 320; CFDA# 84.031L) as well as the College Cost Reduction and Access Act of 2007 (HEA, Title III, Part F, Section 371; CFDA# 84.382B). This program “…provides grants and related assistance to Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-serving institutions to enable such institutions to improve and expand their capacity to serve Asian Americans and Native American Pacific Islanders and low-income individuals” per description from the U.S. Department of education website. To be eligible for this grant program, institutes of higher education must meet two requirements: 1) Asian American or Native American Pacific Islander undergraduate enrollment must be at least 10 percent Asian American or Native American Pacific Islander; and 2) institutes of higher education must meet a  “Designation of Eligibility” which requires showing an enrollment of needy students and low average educational and general expenditures per FTE (full-time equivalent) undergraduate student. According to the U.S. Department of Education data, there are 198 institutions that are eligible for the program across 21 states, and there are currently 54 grantees.
  • Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions Program (ANNH Program): The ANNH Program provides grants to eligible institutions of higher education (IHEs) to enable them to improve and expand their capacity to serve Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian students. Institutions may use these grants to plan, develop, or implement activities that strengthen the institution. A Native Hawaiian-serving institution may receive a grant authorized under section 317 of the HEA if, at the time of application, it has an enrollment of undergraduate students that is at least 10 percent Native Hawaiian students. According to the U.S. Department of Education data, there are 17 eligible institutes of higher education and 15 of these institutions are funded. Of those colleges and universities that are funded, 11 are in the state of Hawaii.
• Civil Rights Protections: The U.S. Department of Education (DOE) is responsible for enforcing civil rights laws that prohibit discrimination in all programs or activities that receive federal funds. This includes the Civil Rights Act of 1964 that prohibits discrimination baked on race, color or national origin; Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 that prohibits discrimination based on disability, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 that prohibits discrimination based on sex, Age Discrimination Act of 1975 that prohibits discrimination based on age, and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 that prohibits discrimination based on disability by public entities. These laws are enforced by  the Office for Civil Rights within the U.S. Department of Education.

Executive Level Changes

President Trump has taken the following actions pertaining to education policy and enforcement measures:

• Closing the U.S. Department of Education: President Trump signed an executive order on March 20, 2025 intending to close the U.S. Department of Education and returning authority over education related matters to the states and local communities. In addition, this executive order states that any program or activity receiving federal assistance pertaining to “diversity, equity, and inclusion” be terminated.
• Reduction in force: President Trump has taken measures to reduce over 50% of the U.S. Department of Education’s workforce. These cuts are across the entire department including components responsible for ensuring compliance with civil rights protections (Office for Civil Rights) and data collection (NCES) requirements. President Trump has indicated that existing statutory required responsibilities would migrate to other federal agencies e.g. student loans administered by the Small Business Administration, and special education and nutritional programs to be migrated to the Department of Health and Human Services.
• Ending diversity, equity, inclusion (DEI): President Trump signed an executive order on January 21, 2025 directing all federal agencies to end DEI preferences, mandates, policies, programs, and activities and directing the Secretary of Education to issue guidance to state and local educational agencies and institutions of higher education that receive federal funds or participate in the Title IV federal student loan assistance program on “the measures and practices required to comply with Students for Fair Admissions, Inc. v. President and Fellows of Harvard College.” This executive order was followed by a Dear Colleague letter from the U.S. Department of Education threatening loss of funding for noncompliance.

Additional References

Other Resources

• State of AANHPIs in the United States 2022, AAPI Data
• Bullying of California’s Asian American and Pacific Islander Youth Who Is Most at Risk and  What Can Schools Do?, UC Davis SPARC

Note on Data Sources

1. For data points from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), ethnicity data are not available. We used the most recent data provided by NCES.

Community Partners

Below is a list of AANHPI-serving community organizations working on various aspects of education and education policy in the United States. We will update this list with more organizations in the coming weeks and months.

K-12 education

• National Education Association (NEA)
• Japanese American Citizens League (JACL)
• The Sikh Coalition
• Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement (CNHA) 

Curriculum in K-12 and beyond

• Asian Americans Advancing Justice (AAJC)
• The Sikh Coalition
• SEARAC
• OCA – Asian Pacific American Advocates

Higher Education 

• Asian and Pacific Americans in Higher Education (APAHE)
• SEARAC  
• Empowering Pacific Islander Communities (EPIC)
• OCA – Asian Pacific American Advocates
• Asia American Scholar Forum (AASF)
• Asian Americans Advancing Justice (AAJC)

Bullying/Hate

• The Sikh Coalition 
• Stop AAPI Hate

Sources

Suggested citation: Karthick Ramakrishnan, Connie Tan, Akil Vohra, Clarielisa Ocampo, Jamie Noh, and Nadia Almasalkhi. “By the Numbers: Education. AAPI Data Guide on Timely Policy Issues.” Berkeley, CA: AAPI Data, 2025.

• AAPI Data, Associated Press and NORC at the University of Chicago. (2025, January 15). December 2023 AAPI Data | Associated Press-NORC Survey of AAPI Adults. https://aapidata.com/surveys/aapi-data-ap-norc-survey-january-2025 
• AAPI Data, Associated Press and NORC at the University of Chicago. (2024, January 28). December 2023 AAPI Data | Associated Press-NORC Survey of AAPI Adults. https://aapidata.com/surveys/ap-norc-aapi-data-survey-december-2023 
• AAPI Data, Associated Press and NORC at the University of Chicago. (2024, May 29). April 2024 AAPI Data | Associated Press-NORC Survey of AAPI Adults. https://aapidata.com/surveys/aapi-data-ap-norc-survey-may-2024 
• AAPI Data’s analysis of U.S. Census Bureau data. (2023). American Community Survey (ACS), 2022 Five-Year Public Use Microdata Sample (PUMS) via iPUMS USA. https://usa.ipums.org/usa/ 
• U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics.  Data Explorer. https://nces.ed.gov/ipeds/Search
• U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics. Trend Generator. https://nces.ed.gov/ipeds/trendgenerator
• U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Statistics, School Crime Supplement (SCS) to the National Crime Victimization Survey, 1999 through 2022.
• National Center for Health Statistics. Percentage of teens aged 12-17 years who were ever bullied in the past 12 months, United States, July 2021-December 2023. National Health Interview Survey— Teen. Generated interactively: Mar 14 2025 from https://wwwndev.cdc.gov/NHISDataQueryTool/NHIS_TEEN/index.html
• A Summary of Federal Education Laws Administered by the U.S. Department of Education. (December 12, 2024). Congressional Research Service. https://www.congress.gov/crs-product/IF10551