E.g., 06/07/2026
E.g., 06/07/2026
Education

Education

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From early childhood through postsecondary education, immigrants and their children face unique challenges and barriers in educational attainment and access to college compared to their native-born peers. The research here analyzes myriad facets of this topic—from the factors influencing early childhood development through the challenges confronted by students who are not proficient in the host-country language, the gaps that can re-emerge in postsecondary education, and capacity issues and needs for language programs and workforce and vocational training.

Recent Activity

People hold Brazilian flags
Articles
A family takes a photo in Washington, DC.
Articles
Cover image for Native Language Assessments for K-12 English Learners
Fact Sheets
March 2026
By  Greg García, Gloria Choi and Lorena Mancilla
Immigrants take the oath of allegiance during a naturalization ceremony.
Girls in traditional Ukrainian attire.
Articles
Cover image for Native Language Assessments for K-12 English Learners
Fact Sheets
March 2026
By  Greg García, Gloria Choi and Lorena Mancilla
Cover image for Best Practices for Designing and Managing Labour Migration Corridors to Europe
Reports
December 2025
By  Kate Hooper, María Belén Zanzuchi, Abigail Goldfarb, Ravenna Sohst and Bertrand Steiner
Cover image for Making Preschool Classroom Assessments Work for Dual Language Learners
Policy Briefs
December 2025
By  Katherine Habben, Victoria Kim and Lorena Mancilla
Fact sheet thumbnail for 2025 unauthorized immigrants research
Fact Sheets
October 2025
By  Julia Gelatt, Ariel G. Ruiz Soto and James D. Bachmeier
Cover image for All in for a Thriving Connecticut
Reports
September 2025
By  Margie McHugh, Julia Gelatt, Colleen Putzel-Kavanaugh, Katherine Habben, Jacob Hofstetter and Julie Sugarman
Cover image for A Data Profile of Young Dual Language Learners
Fact Sheets
August 2025
By  Katherine Habben and Victoria Kim
People hold Brazilian flags

The United States is home to the largest Brazilian community outside Brazil. Still, Brazilians account for only about 1 percent of all U.S. immigrants. This population has grown rapidly in recent years, with nearly two-thirds of Brazilian immigrants arriving since 2010, as this article details.

A family takes a photo in Washington, DC.

Indian immigrants comprise the second largest foreign-born group in the United States, even though they tend to have arrived more recently. Immigrants from India tend to have considerably more education than other groups and roughly one-fifth live in California. This article offers a range of information about this diverse group. 

Immigrants take the oath of allegiance during a naturalization ceremony.

This essential resource offers top statistics about immigration, immigrants, and the immigration system in the United States, drawing on authoritative sources and the latest data available. The article offers insights on the size and characteristics of the immigrant population, the scope of temporary and permanent immigration via all pathways, enforcement actions, and much more.

Girls in traditional Ukrainian attire.

The Ukrainian immigrant population in the United States grew significantly in the immediate aftermath of Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Compared to the overall immigrant population, Ukrainians are more likely to be U.S. citizens and have higher levels of education. This article provides wide-ranging statistics on the size, U.S. settlement, and socioeconomic characteristics of this group. 

A woman and child at the Moldova-Ukraine border

One of Europe’s poorest countries, Moldova has hosted more displaced Ukrainians per capita than any other nation. More than one-quarter of the nearly 7 million Ukrainians who fled since Russia’s 2022 invasion have passed through Moldova. This article provides an overview of the little country shouldering a disproportionate burden even as it is pulled between Russia and the European Union.

Photo of a preschool teacher reading to students.
Short Reads
November 2022
By  Jacob Hofstetter, Alexis Fintland and Maki Park
Photo of woman walking around a school campus.
Short Reads
November 2021
By  Jeanne Batalova and Michael Fix
Collection of illustrations related to finance, business, and people working together
Explainers
October 2024

The question of whether immigration represents a net cost or a net benefit to the U.S. economy has been a major source of contention, even as the research literature and thinking among economists has been quite clear. A strong body of research and consensus by most economists finds that immigration, on balance, is a net positive for the U.S. economy. This explainer walks through the issues.

Trish Morita-Mullaney speaking on webinar
Video, Audio
March 5, 2026

This discussion focuses on the federal government's invitation to states to seek waivers of their obligations under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). Experts offer an overview of current state waivers and their objectives, and what these developments might mean for English Learners (ELs) and their schools. 

The Young Lives Uprooted by Climate Change
Expert Q&A, Audio
November 10, 2025

Children are especially vulnerable to displacement linked to climate change. This episode of the Changing Climate, Changing Migration podcast features a discussion with UNICEF’s Laura Healy about this reality and the opportunities to better protect children in a warming world.

Profile heads in dialogue
Video, Audio
December 16, 2024

Government officials from Colorado, Michigan, and New York discuss how their states’ language access efforts have evolved, how they are structured, and what innovative approaches they have undertaken to reduce linguistic barriers for the more than 25 million U.S. residents who have limited proficiency in English. 

The World Is Going Greener. What Role Can Immigrants Play?
Expert Q&A, Audio
December 12, 2024

Many countries need more workers to fill jobs in clean energy and other sectors that are critical in the fight against climate change. In this episode of our podcast Changing Climate, Changing Migration, Migration Policy Institute senior policy analyst Kate Hooper discusses the role immigrants can play.

Expert Q&A, Audio
May 2, 2024

The Ethiopian government has pledged to increase access to education and employment for refugees, most of whom live in camps. There have been ups and downs along the way. This episode explores the key trends.

Recent Activity

Articles

The United States is home to the largest Brazilian community outside Brazil. Still, Brazilians account for only about 1 percent of all U.S. immigrants. This population has grown rapidly in recent years, with nearly two-thirds of Brazilian immigrants arriving since 2010, as this article details.

Reports
May 2026

Adult education programs play an important part in helping immigrant adults learn English and, in doing so, integrate into U.S. communities and the workforce. In many states, much of the funding for these programs comes from the federal government. This report examines states’ varied vulnerability to potential funding cuts, as well as opportunities to build stronger, more sustainable programs. 

Articles

Indian immigrants comprise the second largest foreign-born group in the United States, even though they tend to have arrived more recently. Immigrants from India tend to have considerably more education than other groups and roughly one-fifth live in California. This article offers a range of information about this diverse group. 

Video, Audio, Webinars
March 5, 2026

This discussion focuses on the federal government's invitation to states to seek waivers of their obligations under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). Experts offer an overview of current state waivers and their objectives, and what these developments might mean for English Learners (ELs) and their schools. 

Fact Sheets
March 2026

Native language assessments are an important tool for measuring what K–12 English Learner (EL) students know in core academic subjects, independent of their English proficiency level. This fact sheet provides an overview of which states offer assessments in students’ home languages, for which subjects, and how this landscape has changed in recent years.

Articles

This essential resource offers top statistics about immigration, immigrants, and the immigration system in the United States, drawing on authoritative sources and the latest data available. The article offers insights on the size and characteristics of the immigrant population, the scope of temporary and permanent immigration via all pathways, enforcement actions, and much more.

Articles

The Ukrainian immigrant population in the United States grew significantly in the immediate aftermath of Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Compared to the overall immigrant population, Ukrainians are more likely to be U.S. citizens and have higher levels of education. This article provides wide-ranging statistics on the size, U.S. settlement, and socioeconomic characteristics of this group. 

Fact Sheets
February 2026

All high school students face important questions about what comes next after graduation. Those who are unauthorized immigrants face additional challenges—from heightened immigration enforcement to states walking back in-state tuition policies for these students. This fact sheet provides estimates of the number and characteristics of unauthorized immigrant children who are reaching the end of high school and graduating from K-12 schools across the United States each year.