50-50 Highlights: Colleges for African-American Students

Diverse Graduates showing colleges for African-American studentsThere are no Historically Black Colleges or Universities that meet the 50-50 criteria. I have created two tables of 50-50 schools that may be of use to African-American students or anyone looking for schools with more diversity.

The first table lists the 50-50 colleges and universities that have ten percent or more of their full-time undergraduates identified as African-American. I included the six-year graduation rate for African-Americans since the four-year rate isn’t available. The total six-year rate is listed for comparison purposes.

The second table lists the 50-50 schools with the highest six-year graduation rate for African-Americans. Because so many schools had such a small percentage of African-American students, I included only schools that had 3% or more African-American students. I know, not a lot. I also excluded schools where more than 75% of students were listed as white. The idea was to avoid schools where the numbers were so small that they were likely to dramatically fluctuate from year to year.

A total of 14 schools made both lists. As usual, in identifying 50-50 schools, the four-year rate is used for private schools and the five-year rate for publics schools.

50-50 Colleges with Highest Percentage of
African-Americans Undergraduates
(download PDF version for a limited time)

NameTypeSTFull-time
Under-
grads
4/5 yr
Grad
Rate
6 yr
Grad
Rate-
all
6 yr
Grad
Rate-
Black
%
African
American
Agnes Scott CollegePrivateGA89766728333
Winthrop UniversityPublicSC443252565730
Lancaster Bible CollegePrivatePA814547010026
University of North Carolina at GreensboroPublicNC1246950555625
Guilford CollegePrivateNC192849574424
Gwynedd Mercy UniversityPrivatePA185150662924
Salem CollegePrivateNC82761645623
Mississippi State UniversityPublicMS1504855614321
Eastern UniversityPrivatePA207649554821
Keiser University-Ft LauderdalePrivateFL1200759575420
La Salle UniversityPrivatePA354255644419
Virginia Commonwealth UniversityPublicVA1974651575718
Eastern Illinois UniversityPublicIL732756604518
Rutgers University-NewarkPublicNJ582760687018
Oglethorpe UniversityPrivateGA99255627218
Indiana Wesleyan UniversityPrivateIN958155654617
Western Illinois UniversityPublicIL880551563917
East Carolina UniversityPublicNC1850052565316
University of Maryland-Baltimore CountyPublicMD950859656516
Union UniversityPrivateTN217551643616
Pennsylvania State University-Penn State HazletonPublicPA88150544316
Towson UniversityPublicMD1658861656015
University of MississippiPublicMS1562854584815
University of HartfordPrivateCT449551594915
Dean CollegePrivateMA107662433615
Centenary College of LouisianaPrivateLA57149595415
SUNY at AlbanyPublicNY1205564666814
Everglades UniversityPrivateFL118458625014
Temple UniversityPublicPA2474361666113
Seton Hall UniversityPrivateNJ538050645113
The University of the ArtsPrivatePA186057645513
The Sage CollegesPrivateNY144652584713
Monmouth CollegePrivateIL124457584413
Roberts Wesleyan CollegePrivateNY122553613813
Hiram CollegePrivateOH111757656113
Earlham CollegePrivateIN104559716713
Salisbury UniversityPublicMD737464675312
McDaniel CollegePrivateMD166064725712
Hood CollegePrivateMD126655666512
Illinois CollegePrivateIL98156648012
University of Central FloridaPublicFL3622961676211
The University of AlabamaPublicAL2654862675711
Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical CollegePublicLA2281162696011
Adelphi UniversityPrivateNY453153634611
Centenary CollegePrivateNJ161056575311
Meredith CollegePrivateNC149050626011
Presbyterian CollegePrivateSC108760684311
Wells CollegePrivateNY52456583311
Columbia International UniversityPrivateSC51152656311
University of South Carolina-ColumbiaPublicSC2253370736610
George Mason UniversityPublicVA1726161676610
Bowling Green State University-Main CampusPublicOH1338751544310
Radford UniversityPublicVA854556594910
Xavier UniversityPrivateOH415066765610
Rider UniversityPrivateNJ379155664710
Saint Joseph's College-New YorkPrivateNY359156727010
Olivet Nazarene UniversityPrivateIL290549573110
Mount St Mary's UniversityPrivateMD165061665810
Drew UniversityPrivateNJ143465698110
Randolph-Macon CollegePrivateVA129557626310
Georgetown CollegePrivateKY100049575510
Hollins UniversityPrivateVA56156605710
Cleveland Institute of ArtPrivateOH55854602910
Pennsylvania State University-Penn State HarrisburgPublicPA312156617110
University of Pittsburgh-BradfordPublicPA136151526810
Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Mont AltoPublicPA73751524510

50-50 Colleges with Highest African-American
6 Year Graduation Rates
(download PDF version for a limited time)

 

NameTypeSTFull-
time
Under-
grad
4/5 yr
Grad
Rate
6 yr
Grad
Rate-
all
6 yr
Grad
Rate-
Black
%
African
American
Lancaster Bible CollegePrivatePA814547010026
Ave Maria UniversityPrivateFL89055591006
Moody Bible InstitutePrivateIL241365841004
Champlain CollegePrivateVT233250581003
Niagara UniversityPrivateNY27196065906
Villanova UniversityPrivatePA65478690905
Point Loma Nazarene UniversityPrivateCA24836272883
Agnes Scott CollegePrivateGA89766728333
Bryant UniversityPrivateRI32007882834
Drew UniversityPrivateNJ143465698110
Wheaton CollegePrivateMA16457176815
Illinois CollegePrivateIL98156648012
Clark UniversityPrivateMA22707681804
Sarah Lawrence CollegePrivateNY14416269804
Fairfield UniversityPrivateCT35467982793
Trinity UniversityPrivateTX21117282784
Santa Clara UniversityPrivateCA53387784773
Syracuse UniversityPrivateNY144226981769
University of GeorgiaPublicGA247468083767
Converse CollegePrivateSC6715562766
Rollins CollegePrivateFL23666167756
Georgia Institute of Technology-Main CampusPublicGA132917682756
Cornell CollegePrivateIA11176468755
Goshen CollegePrivateIN7455470754
Grace College and Theological SeminaryPrivateIN12745461753
Florida State UniversityPublicFL289107477749
Hobart William Smith CollegesPrivateNY23247479744
Rutgers University-New BrunswickPublicNJ317597680738
Ohio State University-Main CampusPublicOH400208183736
DePauw UniversityPrivateIN22807479736
Oglethorpe UniversityPrivateGA99255627218
University of ConnecticutPublicCT172198183725
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State UniversityPublicVA235128082723
University of DenverPrivateCO51296778723
University of Washington-Seattle CampusPublicWA270507882723
Pennsylvania State University-Penn State HarrisburgPublicPA312156617110
University of Illinois at Urbana-ChampaignPublicIL315168284715
Kalamazoo CollegePrivateMI14467277714
Seattle UniversityPrivateWA43775977713
Rutgers University-NewarkPublicNJ582760687018
Saint Joseph's College-New YorkPrivateNY359156727010
St Mary's College of MarylandPublicMD17627879708
Simmons CollegePrivateMA15776671706
Illinois Wesleyan UniversityPrivateIL20017278695
Beloit CollegePrivateWI12547078694
SUNY at AlbanyPublicNY1205564666814
University of Pittsburgh-BradfordPublicPA136151526810
North Carolina State University at RaleighPublicNC214696874687
Earlham CollegePrivateIN104559716713
Elmhurst CollegePrivateIL27365974675
Assumption CollegePrivateMA20227073675
University of Washington-Bothell CampusPublicWA34326168675
University of California-RiversidePublicCA182056266675
Pennsylvania State University-Main CampusPublicPA388268385674
Seattle Pacific UniversityPrivateWA32305469674
Manhattan CollegePrivateNY31956074674
Ringling College of Art and DesignPrivateFL12125665673
George Mason UniversityPublicVA1726161676610
Southern Methodist UniversityPrivateTX61196779666
Ithaca CollegePrivateNY61316976665
University of Maryland-Baltimore CountyPublicMD950859656516
Hood CollegePrivateMD126655666512
The College of Saint RosePrivateNY26645366657
Catholic University of AmericaPrivateDC34566269656
Oklahoma City UniversityPrivateOK17544961656

1 thought on “50-50 Highlights: Colleges for African-American Students”

  1. As an African-American and having worked with African-American families, I appreciate these lists, Michelle. Unfortunately, one of the stories it tells is that many African-American students that are counselled to public colleges should also consider small, liberal arts schools. Of the top 30 schools on African-American graduation rates list, only one is public and it is a specialty university. There are a variety of schools on the graduation list based on location, urban/rural and programs of study available.

    Some of these colleges may hold surprises for the applicant. For instance, Knox College, the second school on the graduation list, hosts the Association for Black Cultural Centers which serves as the organization for African-American student clubs and centers on college campuses throughout the country!

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