Factsheets

According to the Census’ American Community Survey, in 2021 12% of the total U.S. population identified as Black or African American. Among Black residents aged 25 or over, 22.6% had earned a bachelor’s degree or higher. This rate is up from 17.9% in 2010, but falls short of the national rate of 32.9%.

• In Fall 2020, Black students made up 12.5% of all postsecondary enrollment.
• In 2020, 36% of the 18–24-year-old Black population were enrolled in college compared to 40% of the overall U.S. population.
• Since Fall 2010, Black student enrollment has declined from 3.04 million to 2.38 million, a 22% decrease:
  • Undergraduate enrollment declined from 2.67 million to 1.99 million, a 25% decrease
  • Despite the overall enrollment decline, graduate enrollment for Black students increased from 361,900 to 383,900, a 6% increase
• Black students are much more likely to attend public versus private institutions of higher education.
  • In Fall 2020, 67% of Black students attended public institutions:
    • 42% attended public four-year institutions
    • 28% attended public two-year institutions
• Nearly 76% of the Fall 2020 enrollment at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) were Black students.