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Below the Surface: HBCU Performance, Social Mobility, and College Ranking

This study compared Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) to Predominantly White Institutions (PWIs) on student outcome variables, student precollege characteristics (e.g., SAT scores), and college ranking scores. We collected data on HBCUs and PWIs matched by size and location using the U.S. Department of Education’s College Scorecard, U.S. News and World Reports’ Best College Rankings, and CollegeNET’s Social Mobility Index (SMI). When compared to PWIs, HBCU ranks tend to be more favorable on the SMI but less favorable on U.S. News and World Reports. HBCUs showed higher first-year retention and graduate salary than PWIs once precollege characteristics were controlled. Results suggest that HBCUs serve a higher proportion of low-income students than PWIs, which can affect the public perception of their performance. HBCUs would benefit from emphasizing their demonstrated success in promoting social mobility of students.