More Latinas in the U.S. than ever before are earning a bachelor’s degree or higher, but according to a study by the UCLA Latino Policy and Politics Institute (LPPI), they are still lagging behind Latino men and white males in post-grad wages.

The number of Latina’s with a degree jumped from 1 million in 2000 to 3.5 million in 2021, according to the LPPI data brief, which was released Thursday. The proportion of adult Latinas currently holding a bachelor’s or higher is 20 percent — nearly quadruple what it was two decades ago. But the study found that they still face disparities and barriers in higher education and in the workforce.

“The purpose of this study is to help inform changes in policy and solutions that empower Latinas to improve their well-being and their quality of life,” Co-author Citlali Tejeda, a third-year undergraduate research fellow at UCLA’s LPPI, told Reckon.

Tejeda, a first-generation student, is majoring in public affairs and on a pre-law track with an interest in pursuing a Ph.D. She became interested in Latina higher education outcomes because of her initial difficulties navigating college.

According to the study, rates of Latina educational attainment are, overall, lower compared to the rest of the U.S. population. Researchers also found large disparities within the Latina community that can explain the gaps, including inequities based on age, descent group, citizenship status, veteran status and English proficiency.

The study also found that Latinas were more likely to experience inequity in the workforce after completing their degree. Latinas with a bachelor’s earned a median hourly wage of $26 — a rate that is lower than most other workers. Latino men with the same level of education earned $6 more per hour, while similarly educated white men earned $14 more.

Researchers said degree-earning rates look promising for Latinas, who along with Latino men have historically experienced barriers and inequities in obtaining higher education opportunities. Nationwide, about 23 percent of Latinos in their mid- to late-20s had a bachelor’s in 2021, according to the Pew Research Center.

Tejeda said the largest barrier in her postsecondary career came from realizing that the high school education in the low-income neighborhood where she grew up did not prepare her for the rigor of college.

“But I think the experience of coming from a limited background has been really inspiring for me and it has really pushed me to grow as a student,” she said.

According to the study, across all ethnic and racial groups (except Asians or Pacific Islanders) obtain degrees at higher rates than men. But the differences in percentage points within groups of people of color is stark: Among white people, 38 percent of women and 37 percent of men have a bachelor’s or higher. Whereas in Black and Latino communities, there’s a 4-6 percent difference.

In the U.S., Vermont (54 percent) and D.C. (53 percent) had the highest rates of Latinas with at least a bachelor’s degree, followed by Maine, West Virginia and Alaska. The states with the lowest number of Latinas with degrees were Oklahoma, Nevada, Arkansas and North Dakota, all just above 10 percent — though researchers noted that several of these states have experienced rapid growth to their Latino populations in the last twenty years.

According to the study, younger Latinas are obtaining bachelor’s at higher rates than previous generations. In 2021, about a quarter of Latinas ages 25 to 34 had a degree, compared to 16 percent of Latinas ages 55 to 64.

Women descended from South America are more likely to complete a bachelor’s degree, with Latinas from Honduran, Salvadoran and Guatemalan being the least likely. Venezuelans, who are the fastest growing Latino group in the U.S., have the highest degree rates, with 57 and 56 percent of women and men obtaining one.

Researchers also found that 35 percent of Latina veterans completed at least a four-year degree, a figure that is comparable to the overall rate of U.S. women with a bachelor’s.

Tejeda said universities should invest in methods to curtail imposter syndrome in college and in the workforce. She said people of color might need more support in wage negotiation and to navigate a professional setting.

“At the end of the day, everyone in this data has a bachelor’s degree and deserves to be paid at the same rate,” she said.