Although originally established to address racial inequities in access to higher education, the advantages of attending Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) are less clear today. Both graduation and retention rates among African American students at HBCUs increasingly lag behind those of their white counterparts at predominantly white institutions. This has generated a considerable interest among policy-makers and scholars to identify the social, structural and institutional factors that explain the lower success rates of African Americans at HBCUs. It is essential to understand these correlates to ensue that policy responses will be well-targeted and effective.

The result of the present analysis showed that several institutional barriers affect black student success at HBCUs. Those barriers surround the institution’s financial fortitude, student body makeup, support services and ability to attract the best and brightest students. Much of the analysis suggests a lack of these factors which create barriers to success that are not explicitly defined in the policy programs designed to help disenfranchised black students achieve at Historically Black Colleges and Universities in this Country.