The State of Higher Education for Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Californians

Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Californians have long understood higher education as a pathway to economic mobility, opportunity, and generational progress. As California’s fastest-growing racial and ethnic groups, AANHPI communities are fundamental to the state’s social, economic, and cultural vitality. However, despite preconceived notions and false narratives that portray AANHPI students as a “model minority,” many students continue to face substantial barriers to college access, affordability, retention, and completion.  

The Campaign for College Opportunity releases The State of Higher Education for Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Californians, the second report in our three-part 2026 series examining outcomes and policy solutions for historically underserved students in California. Through one of the most detailed analyses of AANHPI student outcomes in California, the report disaggregates data across more than 30 Asian ethnic groups and Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander communities to examine disparities in college preparation, enrollment, transfer pathways, degree attainment, and economic mobility. In doing so, it underscores the immediate actions required to better support students who continue to be overlooked in statewide conversations surrounding racial equity.

Since the groundbreaking series first launched in 2015, the Campaign’s State of Higher Education report series has informed key policy reforms and strengthened statewide efforts to expand college opportunity. In 2026, we are proud to advance this work with an expanded focus on economic mobility—recognizing that our responsibility extends beyond helping students access and complete college to ensuring they have opportunities available after graduation. 

More often than not, the lack of disaggregated data and the model minority myth gloss over the realities facing many Southeast Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders, whose educational outcomes often mirror those of other historically underserved students. Broad averages hide deep-seated inequities and make it more challenging for decision-makers and college leaders to create student-centered solutions that effectively respond to the diverse needs and experiences across AANHPI communities. 

Achieving the college dream is not simply about earning a degree; it is about ensuring that every student has access to a career and economic opportunities that allow them to support their families, remain rooted in their communities, and build lifelong prosperity.

Because when AANHPI students succeed, California succeeds.

 Thank you to Commission on Asian and Pacific Islander American Affairs for their generous support as a commissioning partner.