A major five-year study has found that Indigenous students in Mexico’s higher education system face significant institutional barriers that limit their opportunities and undermine their contributions to academic life. The findings, published in a new policy brief from the Institute for Policy Research (IPR), call for reforms to both federal and state policy and across higher education institutions in Mexico.

The research was led by Professor Michael Donnelly (University of Bath), Dr Gunther Dietz (University of Veracruz) and Dr Judith Pérez-Castro (Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, UNAM). Working with more than 300 individuals across six Mexican states between 2021 and 2024, they analysed the role that higher education plays in supporting the social and economic development of Indigenous peoples.

They found that while access to higher education has increased for Indigenous students, its monocultural and monolingual nature excludes the linguistic and cultural diversity that Indigenous students can contribute to campus life and academic learning.

The study highlights six recurring challenges: financial and economic barriers; limited access to higher education; difficulties in study continuity and completion; curricula that lack relevance and appropriateness; missed opportunities to value students’ linguistic capital; and experiences of discrimination, exclusion and racism. These barriers, the authors argue, are structural, requiring coordinated reforms both within federal and state policymaking and the higher education institutions themselves.

The authors recommend national reforms including increased investment, restructured scholarships, improved access to higher education in rural areas, and training and awareness programmes on diversity and inclusion. Higher education institutions are advised to provide financial support that considers different educational contexts, introduce flexible entry and completion requirements, and restructure curricula to include Indigenous knowledge and community learning, among other changes. The brief also calls for equal recognition of languages, anti‑racism training and dedicated units that focus on the care of the Indigenous university community.

Professor Donnelly from the Department of Education, University of Bath, said: “Indigenous students in higher education in Mexico face a number of barriers, including around access, affordability, progression and inclusion in university life. This work sets out key policy recommendations to address these challenges and to recognise the value that Indigenous students can bring to their study programmes and institutions.”

Dr Dietz from the University of Veracruz adds: “Once the cultural and linguistic diversity contributed by Indigenous students is recognised and valued by Mexican universities, they will evolve towards more inclusive study programmes and curricula. Today, Indigenous ways of knowing are relevant for different undergraduate and postgraduate study programmes – we need plurality and interculturality in the academic training of future professionals.”