Civil Rights Commission Report Finds That HBCUs Do a Better Job of Graduating Black STEM Majors

Civil Rights Commission Report Finds That HBCUs Do a Better Job of Graduating Black STEM Majors: Since their inception, historically Black colleges and universities have served as a lifeline to higher learning for African-Americans. Indeed, they were established to provide higher education opportunities for Blacks who were excluded from mainstream universities. A report released by the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights last week, titled “The Educational Effectiveness of Historically Black Colleges and Universities,” finds that these institutions continue to play a pivotal role in helping Blacks gain academic equality.

According to the findings, although HBCUs have an average graduation rate of 55 percent — compared to the 63 percent average graduation rate at non-HBCUs — they succeed in educating and graduating disproportionately large numbers of African-American students. The reason, the report says, is that HBCUs provide a better match for the students’ academic abilities.

“Many African-American students granted preferential admission at elite non-HBCUs, even when they score well compared to national norms, are competitively disadvantaged in developed ability relative to their school’s student body who are admitted without consideration of racial or ethnic preferences,” the report states.