Blacks Making Very Slow Progress in Achieving College Presidencies

A new survey by the American Council on Education finds that blacks are making slow progress in becoming president of predominantly white colleges and universities in the United States. The study found that in 2006, 86 percent of all college presidents were white. A similar survey taken two decades earlier found that 92 percent of all college presidents were white. When historically black, historically Hispanic, or American Indian tribal colleges were excluded in the 2006 survey, the percentage of white college presidents rose to 91 percent.

In 1986 blacks were 5 percent of all college presidents. Twenty years later in 2006, blacks were 6 percent of all college presidents.