The current study examined achievement motivation, the value of education, cultural mistrust, and academic performance in 202 African American college students attending both Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and a Predominately White Institution (PWI). Results using hierarchical multiple regression established that the three predictor model accounts for 42.1% of the variance in academic performance. Additionally, the results indicated that a student's value of education moderates the relationship between achievement motivation and academic performance. Implications for educators, administrators, and career counselors are presented. (Contains 2 tables, 1 figure, and 1 note.)