New Study Finds That Graduates of HBCUs Outperform Black Graduates of Traditionally White Educational Institutions

A new study by economists at Morehouse College and Howard University shows that African-Americans who graduate from a historically black college or university do better financially and psychologically than African Americans who graduate from traditionally white colleges and universities. The statistical study, published in the Review of Black Political Economy, is authored by Gregory N. Price of Morehouse College and William Spriggs and Omari H. Swinton of Howard University.

The authors conclude, “Our results suggest that HBCU graduates realize higher earnings relative to non-HBCU graduates. As such, our results lend support to the idea that HBCUs continue to have a compelling educational justification, as the labor market outcomes of their graduates are superior to what they would have been had they graduated from a non-HBCU. Our estimates of the effects HBCUs have on the psychological outcomes of graduates also lend support to the idea that HBCUs have a comparative advantage in nurturing the self-image, self-esteem, and identity of graduates.”