Controlled comparisons prove that HBCUs outperform non-HBCU institutions in retaining and graduating black students, after accounting for the socioeconomic status and academic preparation of enrolled students. This report, partly made possible through a grant from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, highlights students' perspectives on their experiences on historically black colleges and universities.
I had learned no Black history outside of what AP U. History taught me. I wanted an undergraduate experience that was supportive, and I wanted to become part of a legacy.
I also wanted to go to an institution that was challenging. The latter two were my top two choices, and I applied for early admission. Both institutions accepted me, and I chose Xavier at the end of the day. Xavier is located in New Orleans, a city rooted in my family history: it's where my mother was born, where my grandmother first started teaching after college and brimming with Creole culture -- my culture.
Xavier is my mother's alma mater, and I wanted to continue in tradition. She had so much pride for her alma mater that it seemed like a no-brainer. My college advisor was a white woman who didn't understand the value of HBCUs. She only pushed the University of California system on me. She noticed that I had stellar grades but didn't understand that it was just as difficult to earn a way into Spelman and Xavier as it was to earn a way into UCLA.
Having gone to stellar private schools where I was one of many black children in the class, I was not yet ready to be the only minority student in my classroom. I did not want to learn in spaces where I would be subjected to microaggressions daily. At the time, I didn't know the word microaggression, but now I understand that was my fear. I knew that racism was everywhere and that going to a school like UC Berkeley would afford me many opportunities, but I didn't want to deal with covert racism daily.
My experience was beyond amazing. I made lifelong friends and it built character and taught me how to combat American white racism. Each day while attending JCSU was a teachable moment. There were so many fun times, and the classes taught me about Black excellence. The overall experience turned me into the social change agent I am today. If I had attended a PWI directly out of high school, I think I would have faced many microaggressions during that era.
Fisk was amazing. It was far enough away from home where no one could surprise visit me, but close enough where I could get home quickly. Freshman year was life changing. I studied hard, but was very busy with clubs and campus organizations. To this day, my best friends are girls that I met my freshman year. I had attended predominantly white schools all the way through high school. I always was the only minority student in my AP classes, organizations, and clubs.
I often felt like I was the token "smart" black girl in high school. I wanted to see myself outside of that lens, for once, and just be myself. I only attended Xavier for one week, then Hurricane Katrina hit. I was forced to leave the campus.
Eventually, I settled at Spelman to finish out my freshmen fall semester and decided to stay. Over the past century, HBCUs have helped to narrow the wage gap by race and reduce race and income inequality. In addition:. HBCUs have also benefited from enhanced federal support over the past few decades. Former President George H. Virgin Islands. Of the HBCUs, 51 were public institutions and 50 were private nonprofit institutions. The percentage of Black faculty at predominantly White universities who received their bachelor's degree from an HBCU.
They offer students more support in their studies, often at a significantly lower cost than other colleges. Here are other ways in which choosing an HBCU can enhance the value of a higher education:. For students who are at risk of not completing college, HBCUs offer a nurturing, caring environment. Minority campus staff and faculty members at HBCUs often have greater insight into the difficulties of attending college than their colleagues at other schools.
HBCUs are regarded as having special expertise when it comes to educating lower-income students. And HBCUs spend about two thirds of the total revenue per student that most other universities in the United States spend, which helps make them more affordable for students from lower income families to enroll.
Students of color feel more at home, and are more likely to succeed, when they attend schools where they feel supported and welcomed.
For many students from Black and minority backgrounds, that means attending an HBCU will lead to better educational outcomes. A recent Gallup-Purdue poll found that HBCU graduates were likelier to have felt supported while they were attending college than their Black peers who attended and graduated from predominantly White educational institutions. Diversity can have benefits for students from majority backgrounds as well, because it allows them to get to know minority students and become more knowledgeable about their cultures and the adversities they can face in society.
Yet the quality of the education they provide is comparable to that of more expensive institutions. Their lower cost—which eliminates or reduces student debt, especially for low- and middle-income families—can help narrow the racial wealth gap between Blacks and Whites. Finally, there are the values that HBCUs often strive to represent and foster. Many HBCUs are rooted in community and working for the greater good. Black churches have long been active pillars of the Black community, and the history of Black colleges reveals that they often worked side-by-side with Black churches.
This history goes back to the late s, when many Black colleges were either funded or founded by Black churches such as the prior referenced collaboration between AME Church and Wilberforce University. This means that attending an HBCU offers an education in values as much as it does in more academic subjects. Many of the most inspiring leaders of the 20th century—Dr. No essay required. Students and parents are eligible. Skip to content Skip to main menu.
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