Insights and Analyses

• Institutional and systemic barriers contribute to disparities in educational attainment for immigrants, which also varies by immigration status. As of 2021, across the state, 18% of naturalized citizens and 7% of U.S.-born individuals had less than a high school degree, compared to 28% of lawful residents and 53% of undocumented immigrants.

• Disparities in educational attainment also vary by race, as different immigrant communities face unique sets of institutional and systemic challenges like language access. Data disaggregation is critical in pointing out these disparities. Among Asian American immigrants in California, in 2021, 82% of Indian immigrants had a bachelor’s degree or higher while only 23% of Hmong, 21% of Cambodian, and 20% of Laotians did. Among Pacific Islander immigrants, only about 17% of Fijian and 10% of Tongan immigrants had a bachelor’s degree or higher.

• Some immigrants arrive in the U.S. with credentials and certifications from their country of origin. However, due to barriers in licensing and credentialing, in 2022, approximately 2.1 million college-educated immigrants were unemployed or underemployed, leaving them unable to exercise their skills and expertise.

• Immigrants who recently arrived were more likely to have a college education than earlier immigrants or U.S. natives. In 2022, among immigrants who arrived since 2010, over 45 percent had a bachelor’s degree or higher, compared to almost 33 percent of immigrants who arrived in the 1990s, and 38 percent of U.S.-born residents, according to the Census Bureau. At the same time, a PPIC analysis shows that immigrants in California also comprise a larger share of workers with little formal education than their U.S.-born counterparts.

• In 2023, about 510,000 undocumented students were enrolled in U.S. colleges and universities, comprising 2.4 percent of all college students nationwide. Among these undocumented students, over 102,000 are enrolled in California schools, the highest of any state.

• UCLA students launched the Opportunity for All campaign in 2022 with the goal of providing equal access to employment opportunities at all California’s public college campuses for their students, regardless of immigration status. It is estimated that about 64,300 undocumented college students throughout the state are barred from campus employment opportunities. Though the UC Board of Regents initially voted to move forward, they suspended the plan to hire undocumented students in January 2024. A state bill was also introduced but was ultimately vetoed by Governor Newsom in September 2024. In response, a UCLA alumnus and lecturer coordinated with the Opportunity for All campaign to file a lawsuit alleging that the University of California Regents is discriminating against students based on their immigration status. In August 2025, the California Court of Appeal ruled that the Regents’ policy prohibiting the employment of undocumented students lacking federal work authorization is unlawfully discriminatory as it violates the Fair Employment and Housing Act. As a result, the Regents received a court order to reconsider its employment policy based on proper legal criteria.

• Immigrant and refugee healthcare professionals represented a critical pool of responders during the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2021, immigrants and refugees accounted for more than 18 percent of healthcare workers in the U.S. and 35 percent of healthcare workers in California. However, the Migration Policy Institute (MPI) estimated that in 2021, about 270,000 immigrant healthcare professionals were either unemployed or working in lower-skilled jobs. California had the highest number (60,000 individuals) of immigrant health care workers experiencing skill underutilization, according to 2017 estimates by MPI.

Business leaders and educators in Orange County formed a long-term partnership to create a training program that prepares youth for jobs in the county’s growth industries.

In 2006, the Santa Ana Chamber of Commerce partnered with the Santa Ana Unified School District to develop a training curriculum that provides students, many of whom were a part of the growing immigrant population in the city, with job training in growth industries of the Santa Ana region. This unique partnership is narrowing the skills gap between the local workforce and local industries, providing college as well as career preparedness programs, and acclimating to shifting labor markets. Now a nonprofit organization, High School Inc. (HSI) Academies Foundation, is training and working closely with business advisors to help students pursue interests in core academies that include automotive, transportation and logistics; culinary arts and hospitality; engineering/construction and computer science; global business; health care; and new media. Thousands of students have received industry certifications, job placements, and internships during their time in the program. Initially supporting 96 students, the HSI program has since expanded to support over 1,800 students during the 2024-2025 school year. To learn more about the program, read here.

Photo credit: High School Inc. Academies Foundation

Resources

• Articles:

  • Who’s Missing from California’s Community Colleges

  • The Pandemic’s Effects on Higher Education

  • Curbing Enrollment Decline and Investing in California’s Community College Students

  • As U.S. Health Care System Buckles under Pandemic, Immigrant & Refugee Professionals Could Represent a Critical Resource

  • Foreign Doctors Could Help Fight Coronavirus. But U.S. Blocks Many

  • Removing Barriers for Immigrant Medical Professionals is Critical to Help Fight Coronavirus

  • Barriers to Work: Improving Access to Licensed Occupations for Immigrants with Work Authorizations

• Reports:

  • Students Need Financial Support for Higher Education & Career Paths

  • Getting California’s K-12 Students Back to School

  • Advancing Equity for Undocumented Students and Students from Mixed-Status Families at the University of California

  • Leaving Money on the Table: The Persistence of Brain Waste Among College-Educated Immigrants

  • California’s Immigrant and U.S.-Born Parents of Young and Elementary-School-Age-Children

  • Skills for an Inclusive Economic Recovery: A Call for Action, Equity, and Accountability

  • The Roadmap for Racial Equity Special Edition: Immigrants and English Learners

  • Amplifying Impact: Combining Investment in English Language Skills and Digital Learning

• Data:

  • Higher Ed Immigration Portal