The Effect of Attending Historically Black Colleges and Universities on Future Wages of Black Students

Using data from the National Longitudinal Survey of the Class of 1972, the author estimates the effect of attending historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) on future wages of black students. She finds that although the pre-college characteristics of students who attended HBCUs predicted lower wages than did the pre-college characteristics of students who attended mixed or historically white four-year institutions, the value added in future wages from attending HBCUs was 38% higher than that from attending traditionally white or mixed institutions for the average black student graduating from high school in 1972. This evidence that HBCUs played an important role in the labor market success of black students in the 1970s, the author argues, should be carefully weighed in decisions affecting the future of these institutions.