In January 2024, UNCF's Frederick D. Patterson Research Institute (FDPRI) published "Adult Learner Initiative External Report," which outlined key findings and recommendations from an evaluation of the Adult Learner Initiative. To supplement and extend that work, Ascendium Education Group collaborated with FDPRI and Lumina Foundation to…

This report offers an in-depth review of the "Move into Middle Class+" mobility rate and its efficiency as a measure of social mobility for Black students at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). The report includes an overview of the access, success and mobility rates at HBCUs. Additionally, it offers an equity-centered…

This report examines the best practices implemented at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) teacher preparation programs, which result in these institutions being significant producers of Black teachers for America's public education system. This report builds on the HBCU teacher preparation program scholarship by providing a…

To support and enhance educational attainment in the United States, the Lumina Foundation established a national goal of 60% of adults earning a high-quality credential by 2025. To achieve this goal, the Lumina Foundation expanded its funding to the adult learner population in 2017 by establishing the Adult Promise Initiative. The organization…

The Campaign for Emergency Student Aid (CESA) is a unique United Negro College Fund (UNCF) scholarship program that provides "just-in-time" financial aid to historically black college and university (HBCU) students poised to graduate, but short of funding. In 2018, the Kresge Foundation provided UNCF with funding to better understand how…

The CPI Mid-Term Assessment provides insights from the first two years of the United Negro College Fund (UNCF)® Career Pathways Initiative (CPI). The authors derived insights from a comprehensive view of the experience of UNCF's Institute for Capacity Building (ICB) and the network of institutions implementing the program. To facilitate continuous…

A college degree is increasingly vital for career mobility and economic success as more employers are requiring greater levels of education and credentials. For more than 150 years, historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) have played a leading role in graduating black students and have made significant contributions to the workforce…

Since 1837, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) have secured a reputation for providing students, especially Black students, with a holistic college experience. An experience that embraces culture and leads to self-discovery, life-long personal and professional relationships, and most importantly, career opportunities. Today,…

Each year, as the title of this report suggests, UNCF awards well over 10,000 scholarships, fellowships and internships under 400 programs. As UNCF receives no federal or state funds, these programs are supported by contributions from corporations, foundations, families and individuals-- investments in the futures of the students who receive the…

While research consistently shows the earning power of college degrees, those returns are best weighed against the cost of attending post-secondary institutions, historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) included. This study is an update of "Affordability of UNCF-Member Institutions" (2009), and compares the average costs at…

"Imparting Wisdom: HBCU Lessons for K-12 Education" details historically black colleges and universities' (HBCUs) longstanding efforts to provide quality educational experiences for their students and how their success may be translated in K-12 schools. This brief uplifts research-based HBCU best practices, practical recommendations and…

This supplement to our 2012 report (see ED562057) on historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) retention and graduation rates narrows that report's focus to UNCF's member institutions, and shows that these private HBCUs retain and graduate students at rates competitive with other postsecondary institutions. These schools perform…

Student loans have become an increasingly important way for students and their families to pay for college, but for students at historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs), student loan debt is a substantial burden. Students who attend these institutions--many of whom are low-income and first-generation--must borrow at higher rates and,…

Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs) represent a small percentage of all institutions in the U.S. but educate a large portion of all black and Latino students, many of whom are low-income and first-generation college attendees. Given the population growth of these students overall, both HSIs…

An appendix provides regression analyses.As the cost of higher education continues to climb, colleges and universities are finding themselves under increased pressure to demonstrate their value by enrolling, graduating and launching graduates into careers with the skills needed to compete as part of the American workforce. Few institutions are…