It's been said over time that historically Black colleges and universities have low graduation rates. Professor and writer said that's often not only a mis-read of statistics, but an unfair and biased assessment of HBCUs.
Toldson Found American Colleges Overall Have A Similar Graduation Rate
Toldson saw a story citing low graduation rates at HBCUs in the 20% range. But the story did not compare HBCUs to all colleges and universities. So Toldson did that comparison, wanting to compare '"apples to apples". He found all colleges and universities had roughly the same 20% graduation rate.
Low Graduation Rates Don't Necessarily Mean Poor Academic Performance
It might just mean students are struggling financially. Toldson said a much higher than average percentage of HBCU students are low-income, and they qualify for Pell Grants designed for low-income families. "The last time I looked, above 70% of all students are Pell eligible,鈥� he said.
Many leave school just because they run out of money.
The Low Graduation Rate Myth Hurts Recruitment
Toldson said unfairly assessed low graduation rates 鈥渃an hurt recruitment quite a bit at HBCUs.鈥� He said such statistics can scare away students with exceptional academic and athletic potential, who might also come from families with greater financial stability. He said all those elements can affect graduation rates.
Got a tip? Email Reporter Bill Zeeble at bzeeble@kera.org. You can follow him on Twitter .
四虎影院 is made possible through the generosity of our members. If you find this reporting valuable, consider today. Thank you
