The purpose of my study was to assess the influence of institutional characteristics on the six-year graduation rate of African American college students at four-year, public, traditionally white institutions. To accomplish this task, I employed a mixed-method design. There were 435 subjects in the quantitative component of my study. In the qualitative component, I interviewed administrators from 3 institutions in the North Central Accreditation Region. Among the most compelling findings of this study was that there appears to be a negative correlation between the percentage of African American students enrolled and six-year graduation rates. There was also a positive correlation between six-year rates and enrollment size, as well as significant differences between six-year graduation rates for African Americans enrolled in research institutions compared with those enrolled in baccalaureate general institutions. The qualitative component of my study showed that high performing schools in the North Central Accreditation Region have strong minority affairs offices and highly structured academic support programs for minorities. In addition, they are typically located in isolated areas that are not close to urban areas with large African American communities. I also discussed the implications of the findings of my study with regard to enhancing educational attainment for African Americans.