Over the past five decades, historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) have faced a troubling trend: the steady decline of Black male enrollment.
A recent report from the American Institute for Boys and Men reveals that the number of Black men attending HBCUs has dwindled significantly, dropping from 38% in 1976 to just 28% in 2022. This decline, which outpaces the overall drop in HBCU enrollment, raises serious concerns about the future of higher education for Black men in the United States.
The report draws data from the Department of Education’s Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System and highlights that inadequate K-12 preparation, the lack of Black male teachers, and financial barriers for both students and HBCU institutions have contributed to this downward trend.
Since 2010, there has been an 11% overall decline in enrollment at HBCUs, consistent with the trends at other universities. However, the 25% decline in Black male enrollment at HBCUs is more than double the national average.
While the numbers reflect an ongoing crisis, recent events have reignited interest in HBCUs. The murder of George Floyd in 2020 sparked a renewed focus on Black institutions, leading to an increase in applications, including from Black men. The COVID-19 pandemic caused a temporary dip in enrollment, but post-pandemic, HBCUs have seen their enrollment numbers rise faster than other groups. Despite this, Black male enrollment has not yet returned to pre-pandemic levels.
The U.S. Supreme Court’s 2023 decision to strike down affirmative action also triggered a surge in interest in HBCUs. As Harry Williams, president of the Thurgood Marshall College Fund, notes, “Interest in historically Black colleges and universities is at an all-time high.”
HBCUs like Alabama State, North Carolina A&T, Morgan State, and even smaller institutions such as Bowie State are witnessing record-breaking enrollment numbers. This year, Clark Atlanta University even surpassed the University of Georgia in the amount of freshman applications, raking in a total of over 46,000.
“To see 46,000 applications for just 1,200 seats is nothing less than phenomenal,” said University President Dr. George French. “The average GPA of incoming students is 3.71. Five years ago it was 2.8. The brand is strong. Our retention and graduation rates are increasing.”
Williams believes this surge points directly to the broader political climate. “Everything that’s been going on politically, from affirmative action to DEI, sends a message to Black students that they don’t belong,” Williams said. “At an HBCU, you’re never going to have that question, and all of the support, resources and scholarship money being taken away elsewhere are already built into the structure [at HBCUs] …there’s value in a sense of belonging.”
He added: “The [enrollment] boost has created another challenge for our institution, and that is infrastructure,” Williams said. “It is certainly a positive thing, but the presidents at all our institutions are worried about whether it can be sustainable.”
Despite the rising interest in HBCUs, the lack of Black male students on campus is palpable. Calvin Hadley, assistant provost for Academic Partnerships and Student Engagement at Howard University, states: “That 25 percent, you feel that in every class, you feel that on the yard, you feel that at events. There are noticeably “far more females on campus than males.”
The report from the American Institute for Boys and Men concludes that while there are signs of progress, the overall decline in Black male participation in higher education is deeply concerning. The report calls for reforms at the K-12 level, including increasing the number of Black male teachers and expanding funding for both HBCUs and their students.
Derrick Brooms, executive director of the Black Men’s Research Institute at Morehouse College, echoes these concerns, stressing the importance of immediate action.
“HBCUs outperform other institutions” in conferring degrees, Brooms shared with Inside Higher Ed. “We know that if we have declining numbers of Black men attending HBCUs, coupled with declining enrollment of Black men at other institutions, then in effect, we will have decreased numbers of Black men earning bachelor’s degrees,” Brooms said. “That means there’s a whole cadre of employment opportunities [many] Black men won’t be qualified for. We can’t sit back and wait or expect that the trend goes on its own.”
As HBCUs continue to grapple with declining enrollment and the challenges of maintaining adequate infrastructure, one thing is clear: the future of Black men’s participation in higher education is at a crossroads.
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