HBCU Enrollment and Longer-Term Outcomes

Using data from nearly 1.2 million Black SAT takers, we find that students initially enrolling in a historically Black college and university (HBCU) are 14.6 percentage points more likely to earn a bachelor’s degree a...

Using data from nearly 1.2 million Black SAT takers, we find that students initially enrolling in a historically Black college and university (HBCU) are 14.6 percentage points more likely to earn a bachelor’s degree and, around age 30, have 5 percent higher household income and $12,000 more in student loan balances than those who do not enroll in an HBCU. We find that results are largely driven by an increased likelihood of completing a degree from relatively broad-access HBCUs in lieu of a two-year college or no college. (JEL G51, I23, I26, J15, J31)