Minority Serving Institutions

Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs) are institution types defined by federal statute. The institutions designated within those types may be static (part of a defined list institutions established by law) or dynamic (defined by a threshold for demographics of enrolled undergraduate students at the institution).

Institutions may be designated by a defined list of institutions and/or may meet the eligibility requirements to apply for recognition as more than one MSI type, thus institutions may hold more than one MSI designation.

All MSIs must be accredited, degree-granting institutions of higher education (public or private nonprofit).

Institutions of Higher Education and MSI Designations List– The downloadable list of institutions of higher education including MSI designations and Carnegie Classifications was prepared for the Office of Science from publicly available information.

The following table summarizes MSI types and eligibility criteria; the lists of institutions by MSI type defined by enrollment is maintained by the U.S. Department of Education.

MSI Type Definition Federal Recognition

Historically Black Colleges and University (HBCU)

Defined list by statute. Any historically black college or university established prior to 1964, whose principal mission was, and is, the education of black Americans.

The Higher Education Act of 1965

Tribal College or University (TCU)

Defined list. Institutions chartered by their respective Indian Tribes through the sovereign authority of the tribes or by the federal government with the specific purpose to provide higher education opportunities to American Indians through programs that are locally and culturally based, holistic, and supportive.

Tribally Controlled College and University Assistance Act of 1978

Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSI)

Dynamic list. Institutions with 25% or more total undergraduate Hispanic full-time equivalent student enrollment.

The Higher Education Act of 1992

Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institutions (ANNAPISI)

Dynamic list. Institutions that have at least 10% enrollment of Asian American and Pacific Islander students.

College Cost Reduction and Access Act of 2007

Predominantly Black Institutions (PBI)

Dynamic list. Institutions that serve at least 1,000 undergraduate students; have at least 50% low-income or first-generation to college degree-seeking undergraduate enrollment; have low per-full-time undergraduate expenditure in comparison with other institutions offering similar instruction; and enroll at least 40% African American students.

Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2008

Alaska Native- and Native Hawaiian-Serving Institutions (ANNH)

Dynamic list. Alaska-Serving Institutions are institutions have at least 20% Alaska Native student enrollment. Native Hawaiian-Serving Institutions are institutions that have at least 10% Native Hawaiian students.

Higher Education Act of 1998

Native American-Serving Nontribal Institutions (NASNTI)

Dynamic list. Institutions that have at least 10% enrollment of Native American students.

Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2008

Reference:
https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/edlite-minorityinst.html