The Experience of Immigrant Origin Students at the University of Massachusetts Amherst

Immigrant-origin students, defined as those born outside the U.S. or with at least one immigrant parent, are the fastest-growing group in American higher education, driving over 90% of domestic enrollment growth between 2000 and 2022. In Massachusetts, over 175,000 immigrant-origin students were enrolled in higher education in 2023, accounting for 38% of the postsecondary student population, 6% points higher than the national average. Yet this population remains understudied. This document reports on an effort to address this gap through a survey of 401 immigrant-origin students and interviews with 39 immigrant-origin students at the University of Massachusetts Amherst.