Pursuing Higher Education
Exploring the Gendered Trajectories of Oxnard’s Latina/o Young Adults

By Karina Chavarria, Sarahy Torres, Evelyn Espinoza, Jacqueline Ambriz, and Monserrat Ruiz

CSRC Research on California's Youth and Young Adults
May 2025

Oxnard’s population of over 200,000 residents includes many who are of Latina/o, immigrant, and indigenous origin, and an increasing number of the city’s young Latina/o residents are attending college, with many beginning their postsecondary education at the local community college. Because we know that a college degree can offer significant opportunities for jobs that provide a living wage and benefits like health care, it is important to account for how gender shapes the experiences of Latina/o young adults as they pursue a college education. Recognizing the importance of how the experiences of males and females can differ, this report seeks to inform local efforts to facilitate the upward mobility of Oxnard’s Latina and Latino residents who are eighteen to thirty-four years of age.

This report presents findings from 2,405 surveys and 70 in-depth interviews conducted in 2023 for the Thriving Youth Study led by the UCLA Chicano Studies Research Center. Students’ responses provide an overview of the educational experiences of Oxnard’s Latina/o young adults. The report examines high school and GED attainment, postsecondary expectations and outcomes, and the experiences of this group of young adults as they attempt to navigate the pathway to earning a bachelor’s degree.
 
Published by the UCLA Chicano Studies Research Center and the Latina Futures 2050 Lab.