Report: Fla. Hispanics outpace the rest of the nation in college degrees

Preliminary excerpts from the report emphasize that Hispanics are by far the largest minority in U.S. public schools — comprising more than 1 in 5 in pre-kindergarten through 12th grade. Hispanics are also projected to account for the majority of the nation’s population growth between 2005 and 2050.

In the other report released this week — authored by the Washington-based nonprofit Excelencia In Education — a spotlight is placed on Florida’s Hispanic college students.

What those numbers show: about 32 percent of Florida Hispanic adults have earned an associate’s degree or higher, a number higher than in any other state. The national average is 19 percent.

Yet even that first-place showing among Florida Hispanics was behind Florida’s overall degree attainment percentage of 36 percent.