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THE IMPACT OF HISTORICALLY BLACK COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES ON THE ACADEMIC SUCCESS OF AFRICAN-AMERICAN STUDENTS

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Abstract

Anchored in national longitudinal data analyzed through hierarchical linear and non-linear modeling, this study found that African-American students have a similar probability of obtaining a BA degree whether they attended a historically Black college or university (HBCU) or a historically White college or university (HWCU). Among African-Americans, females are more likely to obtain a baccalaureate degree than males. Especially given that HBCUs are significantly underfunded relative to HWCUs, the findings of this study lend support to the proposition that HBCUs contribute significantly to higher education in this country and merit strong support from both the public and private sectors.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. The George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA

    Mikyong Minsun Kim (Associate Professor of Higher Education)

  2. University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA

    Clifton F. Conrad (Professor of Higher Education)

Authors
  1. Mikyong Minsun Kim
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  2. Clifton F. Conrad
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Mikyong Minsun Kim.

Additional information

This paper was presented at the American Education Research Association Conference in April 2005.

Appendices

Appendix

Variables and Coding Scheme

Individual-level variables

Student’s gender

0=male and 1=female

Age of student on 12/31/89

Ten-point scale from 1=16 or less, 2=17 to 10=57 or more

Degree aspiration in 1985

Ph.D., M.D., D.D.S., D.V.M., LL.B., J.D., Doctor of Divinity=1, Master’s degree, B.A.=0

SAT

Students’ combined SAT scores, ranging from 400 to 1600

High school GPA

Average high school grades, eight-point scale from 1=D to 8=A or A+

Parental income

Fourteen-point scale from 1=less than $6000 to 14=$150,000 or more (measured in 1985)

Mother’s education

Eight-point scale from 1=grammar school or less to 8=graduate school

College GPA

Average college grades, eight-point scale from 1=D to 8=A or A+

Outcome variable

Degree completion

0=Not completed BA degree; 1=completed BA degree (measured in 1989 and 1994)

Institutional-level variables

Institutional global characteristics

Black college (vs. White college)

0=historically White institution; 1=historically Black institution

Mean SAT (Selectivity)

Institutional selectivity based on SAT combined scores, ranges from 400 to 1600

Institutional total enrollment

 Single-sex college

0=coeducational college, 1=single-sex college

 Private college

0=public institution, 1=private institution

 Total enrollment

Institutional internal characteristics

Percentage: total instruction-related expenditure

Total instruction-related expenditure per full-time-equivalent (FTE) student

Percentage: undergraduates receiving aid

Percentage: students transferring before graduation

Average faculty salary

Percentage: faculty with a Ph.D.

Student–faculty ratio

Percentage: female faculty

Percentage: research project with faculty

Student–faculty interaction

Curriculum: freshman core

0=Not required; required=1

Curriculum: freshman seminar

Curriculum: senior seminar

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Kim, M.M., Conrad, C.F. THE IMPACT OF HISTORICALLY BLACK COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES ON THE ACADEMIC SUCCESS OF AFRICAN-AMERICAN STUDENTS. Res High Educ 47, 399–427 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11162-005-9001-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11162-005-9001-4

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