A New Assessment of Graduation Success Rates at HBCUs

graduation_cap_and_diploma-2091A new study led by Stella Flores, an associate professor of public policy and higher education at Vanderbilt University, finds that Black and Hispanic students who enroll at minority-serving institutions are just as likely to graduate from college as Black and Hispanic students who attend other colleges and universities.

The study, co-authored by Toby J. Park, an assistant professor of educational leadership at Florida State University, found that the graduation rate at HBCUs lagged the graduation rate at predominantly White colleges and universities by about 7 percent. But the study noted that students entering HBCUs are often less academically prepared than other students and often receive less financial aid.

“Minority-serving institutions are doing more with less,” Dr. Park said. “And that needed to be factored into the analysis.”

“When all the variables were factored in,” Dr. Flores noted, “we found there was no difference in a student’s likelihood of graduating based on if they were enrolled in a minority-serving institution or a traditional school.”

The study, “The Effect of Enrolling in a Minority-Serving Institution for Black and Hispanic Students in Texas,” was published in the journal Research in Higher Education. It may be accessed here.

Related Articles

Leave a Reply

Get the JBHE Weekly Bulletin

Receive our weekly email newsletter delivered to your inbox

Latest News

California State University Sacramento Launches Black Honors College

Officially launching for the fall 2024 semester, the Black Honors College will support students from all backgrounds who study Black history, life, and culture by providing them with a specialized curriculum and mentoring opportunities.

Higher Education Gifts or Grants of Interest to African Americans

Here is this week’s news of grants or gifts to historically Black colleges and universities or for programs of particular interest to African Americans in higher education.

In Memoriam: Norman B. Anderson, 1955-2024

Dr. Anderson was the assistant vice president for research and academic affairs at Florida State University at the time of his death. He had an extensive career in clinical psychology, which led him to become the first African American chief executive officer of the American Psychological Association.

Georgia State University Launches Program to Support Black Women in Tech

While Black women account for roughly 29 percent of the Georgia State University undergradaute student body, they represent only 10 percent of the university's computer science majors and 18 percent of the computer information systems majors.

Featured Jobs