Black Enterprise’s Flawed College Rating Formula

Florida A&M University in Tallahassee is rated as the best college for African Americans in the latest Black Enterprise survey.

To be sure, Florida A&M has provided a college education to tens of thousands of young blacks. The institution has many strengths. But does it really deserve Black Enterprise’s endorsement as the best college in the nation for African-American students? Consider the following:

With all the troubles besetting Florida A&M, it seems highly unlikely that the school is the best place for a young African-American student. Are the life chances of a young African American better off with a diploma from Florida A&M, or one from MIT or Vanderbilt? These two universities have shown a strong commitment to racial diversity and have high black student graduation rates, but neither made the Black Enterprise Top 50 list.