Research Universities With the Highest Black Student Graduation Rates

For many years Harvard University, traditionally one of the nation’s strongest and most dedicated supporters of affirmative action, has produced the highest black student graduation rate of any college or university in the nation. The 2008 data shows Harvard’s black student graduation rate is 96 percent.

But this year Harvard’s black student graduation rate is bested by the California Institute of Technology. All black students who entered CalTech in the 1999 to 2002 period graduated from CalTech within six years. While this is an impressive performance, we note that during this four-year period there were only 17 black students who matriculated at CalTech. In comparison there were 518 black students who entered Harvard between 1999 and 2002, and 96 percent earned their degree within six years.

Yale University shows a black student graduation rate of 94 percent, the third-highest rate in the nation.

Princeton University and Stanford University posted a black student graduation rate of 92 percent. Brown University and the University of Pennsylvania posted a black student graduation rate of 90 percent.

Copyright © 2008. The Journal of Blacks in Higher Education. All rights reserved.