A California university recently conducted a survey finding the number of Latinos who have earned a doctorate degree rose 161 percent between 1990 and 2010. Non-Hispanics holding the same degree grew only by 90 percent.

The amount of Hispanic-owned businesses has increased by nearly 44 percent between 2002 and 2007, according to a study conducted by the Commerce Department’s Minority Business Development Agency and U.S. Census Bureau. While the rest of the country saw an 18 percent growth in businesses, Hispanic businesses grew from 1.6 million to 2.3 million. As many of these businesses will likely thrive in the currently developing economy, many Hispanic individuals may be prompted to earn an online doctorate degree in business, as the degree offers an in depth education on managing and owning a business.

Across the nation, the Hispanic population has grown from 22.4 million in 1990 to 50.5 million in 2010. Likewise, the number of Hispanics seeking higher degrees has also seen a large increase. Marialena Rivera from San Antonio, Texas, a Hispanic woman who is currently working on a Ph.D. in education policy, recently told Bloomberg that her family struggled before her parents earned a degree.

“As soon as my parents got their degrees, everything changed for us,” Rivera, 27, told Bloomberg. “They got better jobs. We moved into a gated community. We had a pool in our backyard.”

At the beginning of the 2011 school year, a California University noted a 46 percent increase in Hispanics earning a doctorate in 20 years. However, Hispanics are still underrepresented in American institutes of higher education, as there were only 385 students working toward a doctorate compared to 2,529 white students, a 25 percent drop in the same time frame. 

Between 1880 and 1920 immigration dramatically increased and by the 1960s the majority of immigrants were Hispanics. According to a 2010 report by the Center for American Progress in Washington, second generation Americans are more likely than their immigrant parents to go to college, earn high-paying jobs and own a home.

There are several organizations, like the Association of Latino Professional in Finance and Accounting that are working to help more Hispanics strengthen their career opportunities while owning a business. The non-profit that has been in business for 40 years helps business professionals and students build leadership skills and motivate them for career readiness.