As a student attending a Historical Black College or University (HBCU) the daily task of striving for excellence is a huge asset in being successful. Many people like to think that black students attend HBCUs because they want to be around people who represent them. In most cases this is true. When comparing HBCUs to predominately white institutions (PWI) black students claim to feel the most comfortable around people who look like them. Then there is the case where students choose to attend HBCUs because they feel that they are where they can receive the best education.
According to the Huffington Post, students who graduate from HBCU's tend to be more successful than black graduates from non-HBCUs or PWIs. The latest Gallup-USA Funds Minority College Graduates Report examined 520 black graduates of HBCU's and 1,758 black graduates of other colleges for the elements in which black HBCU graduates rate higher in, as opposed to non-HBCU graduates.
The question is why do HBCU graduates have a higher success rate compared to others? Maybe it's due to the fact that many students that graduated from HBCUs say that they had mentors and professors who were able to connect with them on a personal level. Connecting to a student in this aspect helps a student grow to be more goal-oriented. Also, HBCU students agree that their college prepared them for post-graduate life. In many ways this is true. While attending a HBCU, professors and students are more likely to be exposed to real world situations--many of which are taught in the classroom. For example, a classroom that is filled with only black students and is taught by a black professor can lead to uncensored conversations that aren't typically discussed in a regular college class.
Many HBCU grads agree that the students who attend a HBCU are successful because they have more of a mission and purpose. Other universities would agree that they should strive to be like HBCUs in the aspect that they should offer the experience of more emotional and experiential opportunities. Huffington Post quoted Carol D’Amico, senior representative from USA Funds and the study's sponsor: "We think that other colleges and universities could learn a lot from what it is that HBCU's do that contributes to that well-being."
