Education and the Model Minority Myth
The label “model minority” has been used for decades. It perpetuates a detrimental stereotype that Asian Americans (AA) are more academically and financially high achieving than other racial and ethnic groups. This has multiple damaging effects:
- The expectation from teachers, peers and others that one is academically high achieving can create psychological stress and pressure. Young people who intensely internalize the model minority myth are especially vulnerable to its harmful effects at this formative stage of life. A 2021 study in the Journal of Youth and Adolescence also notes that it is “dehumanizing as it punishes those who deviate from the stereotype and the narrow definition of success.”
- Other studies have found that themodel minority stereotype — which can affect Pacific Islanders, too — has many complex educational, social and mental health impacts. For instance, this stereotype can result in young people:
- Having their academic needs ignored or feeling stigma if they ask for help, due to assumptions that they are model students;
- Becoming isolated or excluded from peers and sources of support; and
- Feeling anxiety out of a fear of not living up to expectations.
Education Data on Asian American and Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Students
Read on for disaggregated stats on the experiences of AA and Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (NHPI) students.
Young Adults Without A High School Degree
The latest data from the National Center for Education Statistics show that while the share of all AA young people ages 18 to 24 without a high school degree was 7% in 2022, below the national average of 12%, this figure was 23% for Thai young adults and 12% for both Cambodian and Burmese young adults. These data reveal wide variation in high school completion among AA populations. For Pacific Islanders, the share of young adults who had not completed high school was 18%, six percentage points above the U.S average (this statistic was not disaggregated by NHPI population).
School Discipline
Punitive or unfair school discipline practices, such as disproportionate suspensions from school, are associated with poor student outcomes like dropping out of school. A 2022 Learning Policy Institute report found that Pacific Islander students, specifically, were suspended at a higher rate (4.3%) than AA (0.9%) and white (2.7%) students. This is consistent with findings from other research. (While these data were not disaggregated by NHPI population, little national attention has focused on school discipline for NHPI students.)
English Proficiency
A 2024 Factsheet by AAPI Data found that around 4 in 10 Americans of Bhutanese (36%) and Burmese (40%) descent ages 5 and older were proficient in English, compared to nearly three-quarters (72%) of all Asian Americans. English proficiency rates were also relatively low among Vietnamese (52%), Bangladeshi (56%) and Chinese (58%) Americans. A recent Pew Research article noted a key distinction in English fluency rates between U.S.-born Asian Americans (95% proficient) and Asian immigrants who understandably have a much lower rate (59%).
Among the NHPI population ages 5 and older, the vast majority (88%) are proficient in English, although more than 1 in 10 still have language access needs, according to AAPI Data.
According to a 2024 summary from the National Center for Education Statistics, Asian students comprised 10% of those classified as English Learners in public elementary and secondary schools in fall 2021, and Pacific Islander students comprised nearly 1%. This represents 500,800 AA students and 33,400 NHPI students — almost 1 in 5 of all AA and NHPI students. Among the 15 most common home languages spoken by English Learners: Chinese, Vietnamese, Hmong, Urdu, Korean and Tagalog.
College Attainment Among Adults
As shown in the table below, a 2025 AAPI Data guide on education found that about three-fourths (74%) of all AA adults ages 25 and older have attended some college or have obtained a bachelor’s degree or higher, compared to 63% nationwide. The same is true for only a quarter (26%) of Bhutanese adults, just over a third (35%) of Burmese and less than half of Laotian (45%), Cambodian (46%) and Mien (47%) adults
Table 1: Asian American College Attainment for Ages 25 and Older, by Population
Population |
Completed Some College |
Bachelor’s or Higher Degree |
| U.S. Average | 28% | 35% |
| Asian American Average | 17% | 57% |
| Asian Indian | 9% | 77% |
| Bangladeshi | 15% | 50% |
| Bhutanese | 11% | 15% |
| Burmese | 12% |
23% |
| Cambodian | 24% | 22% |
| Chinese | 13% | 58% |
| Filipino | 28% | 52% |
| Hmong | 30% | 25% |
| Indonesian | 23% | 53% |
| Japanese | 25% | 55% |
| Kazakh | 7% | 69% |
| Korean | 18% | 61% |
| Laotian | 26% | 19% |
| Malaysian | 15% | 62% |
| Mien | 26% | 21% |
| Mongolian | 20% | 67% |
| Nepalese | 14% | 50% |
| Pakistani | 16% | 60% |
| Sikh | 11% | 55% |
| Sri Lankan | 17% | 60% |
| Taiwanese | 9% | 82% |
| Thai | 20% | 48% |
| Vietnamese | 22% | 34% |
| Uzbek | 8% | 63% |
Survey via iPUMS, from By the Numbers: Education, 2025. Source: AAPI Data analysis of the 2023 5‑year American Community
While the share of AA adults with a bachelor’s degree or higher is substantially above the U.S. average (57% vs. 35%, respectively), this figure ranges widely among AA groups — from 15% to 82%. Those of Taiwanese and Asian Indian descent are the most likely to attain college degrees, while those of Bhutanese, Laotian, Mien, Cambodian, Burmese and Hmong descent are the least likely.
Among NHPI adults 25 and older, just under 1 in 5 (19%) have a bachelor’s degree or more, 16 percentage points below the national average. As shown in Table 2, AAPI Data’s 2025 analysis also found that certain NHPI groups — including Marshallese, Guamanian, Chuukese and Samoan adults — had even lower college attainment rates than the NHPI average. The highest educational attainment rates were among Chamorro and Fijian adults.
Table 2: Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander College Attainment Among Ages 25 and Older, by Population
Population | Completed Some College | Bachelor’s or Higher Degree |
| U.S. Average | 28% | 35% |
| NHPI Average | 33% | 19% |
| Chamorro | 35% | 23% |
| Chuukese | 41% | 16% |
| Fijian | 33% | 22% |
| Guamanian | 43% | 11% |
| Hawaiian | 32% | 19% |
| Marshallese | 36% | 4% |
| Samoan | 34% | 17% |
| Tongan | 29% | 20% |
Community Survey via iPUMS, in By the Numbers: Education, 2025. Source: AAPI Data analysis of the 2023 5‑year American Community Survey
Using Disaggregated Data and an Intersectional Lens to Understand Student Needs
These findings illustrate the importance of disaggregating student data to understand the challenges facing different AA and NHPI groups — a critical step in order to strengthen systems to support their educational success. In addition to disaggregating data by racial group, experts recommend further examining data by other factors, such as gender, language and socioeconomic status, which can shed more light on students’ unique needs. This intersectional approach to understanding NHPI and AA students allows for a more nuanced understanding of their varied experiences and can help education leaders effectively target resources and services to meet their needs.
Read the Rest of Our Series on AA and NHPI Young People
- Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Children Are Not a Monolith
- Asian and Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Child Poverty and Economic Well-Being
- Mental Health and Asian American and Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Youth
- The Adverse Effects of Racial Discrimination on Asian American Kids
Access Related Data and Policy Information
More resources from the Foundation:
- Race for Results, 2024
- Understanding the Children in Immigrant Families, 2024
- Resources: Expanding Opportunity for All
- KIDS COUNT Data Book
- All Data by Race and Ethnicity on the KIDS COUNT Data Center
Additional data, research and policy resources about AA and NHPI populations:
- Asian American Research Center, UC Berkeley: AAPI Data
- Pew Research Center:Asian Americans
- APIA Scholars and UCLA: Native Hawaiians & Pacific Islanders in Higher Education, 2023
- USC Pacific Asia Museum: Debunking the Model Minority Myth
A Note About Language
We use the term “Asian Americans” in this post to refer to both Asian immigrants and U.S. citizens of Asian descent, as the term reflects the vast majority of this population, especially among children.
Read the entire series on Asian American and Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander children.
- Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Children Are Not a Monolith
- Asian and Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Child Poverty and Economic Well-Being
- Education and the Model Minority Myth
- Mental Health and Asian American and Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Youth
- The Adverse Effects of Racial Discrimination on Asian American Kids
