A Minority Serving Institution (MSI) is a college or university which provides access to post-secondary education to students from underrepresented racial and ethnic groups. MSI's  tend to have higher graduation rates because they provide more support to their students. As the U.S. becomes more diverse, it's predicted that the number of MSI's will grow as well.

There are 7 different MSI categories:

• Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander - Serving Institutions (AANAPISI)

• Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian - Serving Institutions (ANNH)

• Hispanic - Serving Institutions (HSI)

• Historically Black Colleges & Universities (HBCU)

• Native American - Serving Non-Tribal Institutions (NASNTI)

• Predominantly Black Institutions (PBI)

• Tribal Colleges & Universities (TCU)