Black Student, White Campus: Structural, Interpersonal, and Psychological Correlates of Success

Abstract

Over the past twenty years, significant changes have occurred in Black student college attendance patterns in the United States. Whereas in 1964, 60 percent of Black students attended historically Black institutions, by 1973 the proportion had declined to roughly 25 percent. Until 1968, 80 percent of all undergraduate degrees awarded to Blacks were earned at Black colleges or universities.1 In contrast, during 1978-79 an estimated 56 percent of all bachelor's degrees awarded to Black students were conferred by predominantly white schools.2 Far too little research is available about the consequences and implications of this rapid societal change. Research findings suggest that Black students have not fared well on predominantly white college campuses. Relative to white students, they have lower persistence rates, lower academic achievement levels, less likelihood of enrollment in advanced degree