The College Enrollment Rates of the Children of Native-Born and Immigrant Black Families

Source: JBHE.COM
A study co-authored by Pamela R. Bennett, an assistant professor of sociology at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, finds that Black students who are from families who immigrated to the United States are more likely to enroll at prestigious colleges and universities than students from African American or White American families.

 Using data from the National Education Longitudinal Study, Dr. Bennett and her co-author, Amy Lutz of Syracuse University, found that 9.2 percent of the Black students who immigrated to the United States or are children of parents who immigrated to this country, enrolled at selective colleges and universities.

In comparison, only 2.4 percent of native-born African American students enrolled in selective colleges and universities. For Whites, 7.3 percent of all students enrolled at the nation’s most elite educational institutions.

The study also found that 75.1 percent of all children of Black immigrant families enrolled in college. This is higher than the rate for White Americans and far ahead of the college enrollment rate of native-born African Americans.

The study, “How African-American Is the Net Black Advantage? Differences in College Attendance Among Immigrant Blacks, Native Blacks and Whites,” was published in the journal Sociology of Education.

Dr. Bennett holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Louisiana State University. She earned a Ph.D. in sociology from the University of Michigan.