The State of Higher Education for Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Californians
Sacramento, Calif., May 28, 2026 — A new report from the Campaign for College Opportunity and the California Commission on Asian and Pacific Islander American Affairs (CAPIAA) reveals why California must do more to support the state’s diverse Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) students. While many Asian American students continue to post strong higher education outcomes, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander students face uneven and often stalled progress, particularly in college enrollment, transfer rates and degree attainment. Based on newly disaggregated data, The State of Higher Education for Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Californians highlights both progress and persistent gaps.
Key findings include:
- The latest research by Campaign for College Opportunity and The California Commission on Asian and Pacific Islander American Affairs reveals why California must commit to investing in Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander students’ success.
- California is home to nearly 7.5 million people who identify as either Asian American or NHPI, making up just under one out of every five people in the state – almost one-quarter of the nation’s undocumented Asian American residents call California home, representing the fastest-growing segment of the undocumented population in the country.
- Less than half of Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (NHPI) high school seniors are eligible to enroll at a UC or CSU campus.
- The lack of available disaggregated data creates significant blind spots, masking important educational equity gaps within the Asian and NHPI student communities.
“California’s Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) students are not a monolith—they are students with distinct identities, cultures, aspirations, and lived experiences that deserve to be seen, understood, and supported. Longstanding inequities impacting many AANHPI communities, particularly Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander students, have been rendered invisible by aggregated data and one-size-fits-all assumptions for too long. This report seeks to disrupt that invisibility by illuminating the real barriers students face while also uplifting the resilience, brilliance, and progress of AANHPI communities across California. Our hope is that this report serves as both a mirror and a mandate, reflecting where inequities persist and calling on California leaders to build a higher education system where every AANHPI student has the opportunity to succeed and prosper.”
—Jessie Ryan, President, The Campaign for College Opportunity
“For too long, AANHPI students have been viewed through a single narrative that fails to reflect the full diversity of our communities. This report highlights both the progress we have made and the opportunities ahead to better support students across California. It underscores the importance of advancing policies and investments that are truly student-centered, ensuring every student has the support they need to succeed, graduate, and achieve meaningful economic mobility. By focusing on solutions that meet students where they are, we can build a higher education system that works for all.”
—Khydeeja Alam, Executive Director, Commission on Asian and Pacific Islander American Affairs
“This report makes clear that progress has not been shared equally. Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander, and Southeast Asian students continue to face persistent disparities in access and outcomes. I commend the Campaign for College Opportunity for lifting up these inequities and pointing the way toward sustained advocacy, disaggregated data, and targeted investment.”
—Andy Wong, Secretary, Campaign for College Opportunity and Managing Director of Advocacy, Chinese for Affirmative Action
“Every student in California deserves access to a high-quality, affordable education. During these times of deep uncertainty and economic change, this report amplifies the stories of Asian American and Pacific Islander students and brings visibility to disparities often masked by broad assumptions about these communities. Now is the time to listen, confront these disparities, and take meaningful action to ensure equity for all.”
—Reshma Shamasunder, Executive Director, Asian American Futures and Campaign for College Opportunity, Board of Directors
“Every year we wait for better data, another Pacific Islander student slips through the cracks, leaving high school without a pathway forward, pushed out of community college, and ultimately disappearing from a system that was never built to see them, let alone support them. This report moved me because it tells the truth about that reality. And the solutions it offers aren’t aspirational. They are the long-overdue response our communities have been waiting for.”
—Roy Tongilava, Policy Analyst (TK-12), EdTrust-West
To bolster current progress and close remaining disparities, the report highlights several policy recommendations for federal, state, institutional, and high school leaders, including:
- Direct the public higher education systems to establish statewide attainment, equity, transfer, and completion goals for Asian American and NHPI students using disaggregated data to identify gaps and drive solutions.
- Increase access to A-G coursework, qualified teachers, dual enrollment, summer bridge programs, and college-preparatory opportunities so more NHPI and Southeast Asian students are eligible and prepared for CSU and UC admission.
- Ensure students are placed on efficient pathways such as Associate Degree for Transfer (ADT), improve transfer-level English and math completion, reduce time to degree, and create clearer pathways from community college to four-year institutions.
- Improve California’s financial aid system, expand Cal Grant investments, and ensure all high school seniors complete the FAFSA or CADAA so income is never a barrier to pursuing higher education.
- Increase recruitment and retention of Asian American and NHPI identifying faculty and staff, create California’s first Asian American and NHPI-Serving Institution designation, and ensure governing boards reflect the diversity of California students and communities.
- Support pathways to citizenship, protect funding for AANAPISI institutions, strengthen transparency through improved federal data reporting, and hold institutions accountable for student outcomes tied to federal financial aid.
The full 2026 report is available on Campaign’s website at: https://collegecampaign.org/publication/the-state-of-higher-education-for-asian-american-native-hawaiian-and-pacific-islander-californians-2.
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About the Campaign for College Opportunity:
The Campaign for College Opportunity is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) broad-based, nonpartisan coalition of business, education, and civil rights leaders, committed to advancing racial and economic justice in California. Through advocacy and research, the Campaign works to build a more equitable, affordable, and workforce-connected higher education system. The Campaign champions student-centered higher education policy transformation and the dismantling of inequitable systems to eliminate educational, income, and wealth inequities and achieve racial equity and economic justice for Californians. For more information, visit www.CollegeCampaign.org, or follow us on Instagram and LinkedIn.
About the California Commission on Asian and Pacific Islander American Affairs
The California Commission on Asian and Pacific Islander American Affairs (CAPIAA) is a state agency charged with elevating the political, economic, and social issues of Asian and Pacific Islander Americans in California. California is home to more than seven million Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) residents, among the fastest-growing racial and ethnic populations in the state.
CAPIAA advances educational, economic, and health equity for AANHPI communities by advising the Governor, Legislature, and state agencies on policies and programs that address persistent gaps in opportunity and outcomes. The Commission also promotes culturally and linguistically responsive services, language accessibility, and efforts to prevent and address hate, including through the state’s Stop the Hate initiative. For more information, visit capiaa.ca.gov, or follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn.
Media Contacts
Andrew Meehan
Meehan Business Advisers for Campaign for College Opportunity
(949) 285-0759
Joseph Saragoza
California Commission on Asian and Pacific Islander American Affairs
(916) 926-9490