Legislation and litigation to end desegregation in higher education and improve college choice to HBCUs abound while academic programs continue to impact college choice. The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine the influence of Maryland's dual system of public higher education on college choice, specifically through community college transfer rates to Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and Predominantly White institutions (PWIs). The study examined the relationship of academic programs between HBCUs and PWIs and the effect of the academic programs on college choice in community college transfers to four-year institutions. Critical Race Theory (CRT) and Effectively Maintained Inequality (EMI) provided the theoretical framework for examining the variables. Inferential statistics were used to address research questions and test the hypotheses. Descriptive statistics were used to provide an understanding of community college transfer rates at HBCUs and PWIs and academic programs at HBCUs and PWIs. This study contributed to the limited body of literature that examines desegregation in higher education and college choice impact on community college transfer rates to HBCUs. The study also provided recommendations to improve the community college transfer process to HBCUs. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]