North OC Times

Hispanic students were the most represented ethnicity among students at Orange County universities in the 2022-23 school year, according to the latest disclosure from the National Center for Education Statistics.

Of the 146,185 students attending institutions in the county at the time, 41.5% were Hispanic. This is a decrease of 32.6% in enrollment numbers, compared to the previous year.

White students comprised the second largest ethnic group in the county, followed by Asian students.

Countywide, the number of undergraduates attending the 31 universities in the county during the 2022-23 school year fell by 35.7%. California State University-Fullerton reported the largest student body, with 35,432 students.

Graduation rates reveal a significant achievement gap among different ethnicities. While white students graduate at a rate of 62.1%, Black and Hispanic students graduate at a rate of around 40%.

Ethnic Group	% of Total Student Body
Hispanic	41.5%
White	24.8%
Asian	20.7%
Multiracial	5.3%
Black or African American	2.9%
U.S. nonresident	2.4%
Unknown	2.1%
American Indian or Alaskan Native	0.1%