This study examined whether African-American students who attend historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) have different experiences and perceive the campus climate differently than African American students who attend predominantly white institutions (PWIs). The study also examined whether differences in experiences and perceptions of the environment are linked to differential gains in cognitive abilities. The study used data from the National Study of Student Learning, a three-year longitudinal study of about 4,000 students who entered 23 institutions in 1992. Data were gathered in the fall of 1992 and the spring of 1993 and included demographic characteristics, scores on the Collegiate Assessment of Academic Proficiency, and responses on the College Student Experience Questionnaire. Students in HBCUs differed from their peers in both entering characteristics and college experiences in a variety of areas. These experiences, however, were not associated with differences in first year cognitive gains. (Contains 38 references and 3 tables.) (DB)