Spectacular Gains in Black Student Graduation Rates at Flagship State Universities

Blacks are making tremendous progress in improving their graduation rates at flagship state universities. These universities, combined, educate tens of thousands of black students.

At 25 flagship universities with large numbers of black students, the graduation rate has improved at 24 institutions since 1998. The only exception is the University of Virginia, which maintained its leading 87 percent black student graduation rate over the period.

Some of the black graduation gains have been spectacular. For example, the black student graduation rate at both the University of Florida and the University of Texas has increased by more than 20 percentage points since 1998. At the University of Georgia, the University of Connecticut, and the University of Maryland, the black student graduation rate has improved by more than 15 percentage points.

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