Newark Reporter

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

Of the 34,038 students attending institutions in the county at the time, 29.3% were Hispanic. This is an increase of 7.5% in enrollment numbers, compared to the previous year.

White students comprised the second largest ethnic group in the county, followed by Black or African American students.

Countywide, the number of undergraduates attending the 14 universities in the county during the 2022-23 school year fell by 2.8%. New Jersey Institute of Technology reported the largest student body, with 9,019 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	29.3%
White	25.4%
Black or African American	21.4%
Asian	12.7%
U.S. nonresident	5.3%
Unknown	3.3%
Multiracial	2.5%