Men of Color: A Role for Policymakers in Improving the Status of Black Male Students in U.S. Higher Education

This report calls for greater involvement by federal and state policymakers and others to improve black male college readiness and completion. It presents policy-relevant trends concerning black male college students, highlights promising practices on campuses across the country, and proposes suggestions for policymakers and other stakeholders.

• Initiatives currently offered by colleges and universities are insufficient to improve postsecondary degree attainment for black males; a complementary policy response is needed. Tweet
• Data show that black males are underrepresented in postsecondary education, have low college completion rates, are overrepresented in revenue-generating college sports, and face inequities in student-athlete graduation rates. Tweet
• The cumulative gender gap in degree attainment is widest among black students, with women outnumbering their male counterparts by more than two to one. Tweet
• Policy recommendations include: funding measures and programs targeting student populations that are least likely to enroll in college; data, assessment, and information sharing on college completion initiatives to find out which are successful and scalable; rethinking how college athletics affect black men; promoting policies and practices that advance equity; and reclaiming near-completers. Tweet