Discrimination and caretaking contribute to lower college completion rate for Black students

By Claretta Bellamy, NBC News

According to a new report, Black college students face two distinct barriers when it comes to finishing their education: discrimination and managing too many responsibilities. 

Black students reported facing barriers that prevent them from completing their undergraduate studies in six years or less, regardless of the type of certificate or degree program, according to research published Thursday by Gallup and the Lumina Foundation. The most significant factors contributing to the lower rates among Black students, the study found, were experiencing acts of discrimination and managing multiple priorities that can interfere with completing coursework.

The report compiled data in fall 2022 from 6,008 college students across different certification and degree programs, including 1,106 Black students. 

Twenty-one percent of Black respondents said they felt discriminated against frequently or occasionally compared to 15% of other students. Black students were also more likely to have shared that they felt disrespected or psychologically unsafe at an institution while learning. Twenty-eight percent of Black students who attended an institution with little diversity felt physically unsafe, while 26% felt disrespected and 27% felt psychologically unsafe.

Read more about this report.

Although schools are no longer segregated thanks to the Civil Rights movement, education disparities continue for Black students.

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