Effort Under Way to Improve Black Male Graduation Rates at the University of Maryland

At the University of Maryland’s flagship campus at College Park, 57 percent of all entering black male students go on to graduate within six years. For black women the graduation rate of 72 percent is 15 percentage points higher. White males have a graduation rate of 77 percent, a full 20 percentage points higher than the rate for black males.

In an effort to boost the graduation rate of African-American men, the university has established the Black Male Initiative. Its goal is to establish a structure where black men can receive mentoring, guidance, and academic support. And black men can take advantage of a peer network and study groups that they can employ to help them succeed.

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