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The Changing Consequences of Attending Historically Black Colleges and Universities

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  • Roland G. Fryer
  • Michael Greenstone

Abstract

Using nationally representative data files from 1970s and 1990s college attendees, we find that in the 1970s matriculation at historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) was associated with higher wages and an increased probability of graduation, relative to attending a traditionally white institution. By the 1990s, there is a wage penalty resulting in a 20 percent decline in the relative wages of HBCU graduates between the two decades. There is modest support for the possibility that the relative decline in wages associated with HBCU matriculation is partially due to improvements in TWIs' effectiveness at educating blacks. (JEL I23, J15, J24, J31)

Suggested Citation

  • Roland G. Fryer & Michael Greenstone, 2010. "The Changing Consequences of Attending Historically Black Colleges and Universities," American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, American Economic Association, vol. 2(1), pages 116-148, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:aea:aejapp:v:2:y:2010:i:1:p:116-48
    DOI: 10.1257/app.2.1.116
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Angrist, Joshua D & Lavy, Victor, 2001. "Does Teacher Training Affect Pupil Learning? Evidence from Matched Comparisons in Jerusalem Public Schools," Journal of Labor Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 19(2), pages 343-369, April.
    2. Stacy Berg Dale & Alan B. Krueger, 2002. "Estimating the Payoff to Attending a More Selective College: An Application of Selection on Observables and Unobservables," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 117(4), pages 1491-1527.
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    Cited by:

    1. Stacy B. Dale & Alan B. Krueger, 2014. "Estimating the Effects of College Characteristics over the Career Using Administrative Earnings Data," Journal of Human Resources, University of Wisconsin Press, vol. 49(2), pages 323-358.
    2. Dougal, Casey & Gao, Pengjie & Mayew, William J. & Parsons, Christopher A., 2019. "What’s in a (school) name? Racial discrimination in higher education bond markets," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 134(3), pages 570-590.
    3. repec:mpr:mprres:6922 is not listed on IDEAS
    4. Alston, Mackenzie & Darity, William A. & Eckel, Catherine C. & McNeil, Lawrence & Sharpe, Rhonda, 2022. "The effect of stereotypes on black college test scores at a historically black university," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 194(C), pages 408-424.
    5. Gregory Price & William Spriggs & Omari Swinton, 2011. "The Relative Returns to Graduating from a Historically Black College/University: Propensity Score Matching Estimates from the National Survey of Black Americans," The Review of Black Political Economy, Springer;National Economic Association, vol. 38(2), pages 103-130, June.
    6. Słoczyński, Tymon, 2012. "New Evidence on Linear Regression and Treatment Effect Heterogeneity," MPRA Paper 39524, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    7. Jack Mountjoy & Brent Hickman, 2020. "The Returns to College(s): Estimating Value-Added and Match Effects in Higher Education," Working Papers 2020-08, Becker Friedman Institute for Research In Economics.
    8. Stacy Dale & Alan B. Krueger, "undated". "Estimating the Return to College Selectivity Over the Career Using Administrative Earning Data," Mathematica Policy Research Reports d76ec29a0bbb4b1bb9d285b5a, Mathematica Policy Research.
    9. repec:pri:indrel:dsp01gf06g265z is not listed on IDEAS
    10. Ethan K. Gordon & Zackary B. Hawley & Ryan Carrasco Kobler & Jonathan C. Rork, 2021. "The Paradox of HBCU Graduation Rates," Research in Higher Education, Springer;Association for Institutional Research, vol. 62(3), pages 332-358, May.
    11. Catherine J. Weinberger, 2018. "Engineering Educational Opportunity: Impacts of 1970s and 1980s Policies to Increase the Share of Black College Graduates with a Major in Engineering or Computer Science," NBER Chapters, in: US Engineering in a Global Economy, pages 87-128, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    12. Edwards, Ashley & Ortagus, Justin & Smith, Jonathan & Smythe, Andria, 2023. "HBCU Enrollment and Longer-Term Outcomes," IZA Discussion Papers 16632, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    13. Charles T. Clotfelter & Helen F. Ladd & Jacob L. Vigdor, 2015. "Public Universities, Equal Opportunity, and the Legacy of Jim Crow: Evidence from North Carolina," NBER Working Papers 21577, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    14. Ortega, Alberto, 2020. "State partisanship and higher education," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 76(C).
    15. Peter Hinrichs, 2024. "An Empirical Analysis of Racial Segregation in Higher Education," Education Finance and Policy, MIT Press, vol. 19(2), pages 218-251, Spring.
    16. Toby J. Park & Stella M. Flores & Christopher J. Ryan, 2018. "Labor Market Returns for Graduates of Hispanic-Serving Institutions," Research in Higher Education, Springer;Association for Institutional Research, vol. 59(1), pages 29-53, February.

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • I23 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Higher Education; Research Institutions
    • J15 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Minorities, Races, Indigenous Peoples, and Immigrants; Non-labor Discrimination
    • J24 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Human Capital; Skills; Occupational Choice; Labor Productivity
    • J31 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Wages, Compensation, and Labor Costs - - - Wage Level and Structure; Wage Differentials

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