For Black Men at HBCUs, Momentum Must Start Before Move-In Day

A new academic year is more than the beginning of classes; it is the beginning of possibility. It is an opportunity to recommit ourselves to developing the talent, leadership, and innovation that our nation needs. In the early 2000s, historically Black colleges and universities began to see a rise in Black male achievement initiatives, and HBCU researchers led some of that most promising work — work that has catalyzed targeted efforts for Black male students all across the country.

And as a result, the last five years of Integrated Postsecondary Education Data Systems (IPEDS) data demonstrates the momentum of male enrollment across higher education has been steadily increasing at these institutions, despite contradictory reporting. The enrollment data reminds us why that work matters; each number is a person with a story and a need. While men represent approximately 41–42% of college enrollment nationally, Black men represent only about 10–11%. Even more striking, the percentage of Black male enrollment represented within HBCUs declined from 8.2% in 2022 to 7.4% in 2025, likely the result of diminishing access to resources supporting male achievement programs at these institutions and an increase in the same at PWIs, thanks largely to the support of private donors.

These numbers should not discourage us. They should motivate us to act with greater intention from day one.

According to IPEDS data, the Black male percentage at HBCUs increased from 7.7% in 2020 to a high of 8.2% in 2022; however, since that peak the trend has moved in the opposite direction, declining to 7.9% in 2023, 7.7% in 2024, and 7.4% in 2025. This is an important distinction. Because while the broader percentage of Black male college enrollment has held steady or slightly increased, the HBCU share reflected in these data has declined.

These data suggest that HBCUs, despite having been models for male achievement programming for decades, may be facing a challenge that goes beyond the national pathway for Black men entering college. It raises important questions about where Black men are choosing to enroll, how effectively HBCUs are reaching prospective students, and what financial, academic, social, or competitive factors may be influencing their college decisions.

The data should not be interpreted simply as a loss but viewed as an opportunity for action. As the academic year begins at HBCUs, institutions have an opportunity to build momentum from day one by examining the entire Black male student pathway, starting from recruitment and enrollment to belonging, retention, graduation, and career placement. Recruiting more Black men is important, but the work cannot end when students arrive on campus.

While HBCUs have always been institutions of access, opportunity, transformation, and excellence, the beginning of this academic year gives us another opportunity to strengthen that legacy. Every student welcomed to campus represents potential: a potentially new invention, a potentially new app, a potentially new piece of artwork, a potentially new musical score. The potential is limitlessness when supported through the wraparound services and academic support woven into the cultures of HBCUs. Every mentoring relationship can change a trajectory. Every internship, research experience, scholarship, leadership opportunity, and professional connection can move a student closer to graduation and a meaningful career to ultimately make the world a better place.

As many know, building momentum means refusing to wait until retention becomes a concern or graduation becomes uncertain. It means engaging students early, surrounding them with support, connecting them to communities and opportunities, and helping them see a future for themselves from the moment they step foot on campus or log in to their first course.

For Black men in particular, our campuses can become powerful spaces of belonging, achievement, leadership, and professional preparation. As the IPEDS data suggest, there is still work to do to increase their enrollment proportionality, but enrollment alone cannot be the finish line. Given the declining numbers of high school graduates, we must become innovative in recruitment and retention efforts. We must leverage our momentum to develop them, graduate them, and position them to lead the next generation to our campuses and into our classrooms.

The HBCU year begins now, and so does our opportunity to make a difference. Let us build momentum from day one, one student, one mentor, one opportunity, and one success story at a time.
 

This story originally ran in The EDU Ledger's September 3, 2026 edition. Subscribe here for full access.