Black Men Who Graduate From Black Colleges Earn More

A study conducted by Jill M. Constantine, Assistant Professor of Economics at Williams College, revealed that Black men who graduated from historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) earned more than Black men who graduated from other four-year colleges and universities.

The study entitled "The Effect of Attending Historically Black Colleges and Universities on Future Wages of Black Students" used data from the National Longitudinal Survey of the Class of 1972 to estimate the effect of attending historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) on future wages of black students.

Constantine found that although the pre-college characteristics of students who attended HBCUs predicted lower wages than did the pre-college characteristics of students who attended mixed or historically white four-year institutions, the value added in future wages from attending HBCUs was 38% higher than that from attending traditionally white or mixed institutions for the average black student graduating from high school in 1972.

Constantine argues that this is evidence that HBCUs played an important role in the labor market success of black students in the 1970s, the author argues, should be carefully weighed in decisions affecting the future of these institutions.

In a new study entitled "The Earnings Impact of Historically Black Colleges and Universities" by researchers at Virginia Tech shows that Black males have no initial advantage from HBCU attendance but that their wages increase 1.4 percent to 1.6 percent faster per year after attending HBCUs compared to Black males who attended other colleges and universities.

This study used data from a series of surveys that examined the financial and life situations of men and women from 1979 to 2004.

In addition to their findings about the benefits to Black male graduates of HBCUs, they found that no similar benefits appear to accrue to Black women. And, that much of the benefits may be due to the social networks they were able to build while attending HBCUs.

Both studies are incredibly significant at a time when affirmative action in college admissions is under attack, the Federal government is promising extensive changes to student financial aid, and college attendance rates for Black men is at an all-time low.

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