HBCU alumni thrive more than non-HBCU alumni, per study

A new report is putting numbers behind what HBCU alumni have said for years: their schools are working. “Proof of Promise: The Lasting Value and Impact of an HBCU Education” found that HBCU graduates report higher rates of thriving, workplace engagement and life satisfaction than the general population, according to data shared with Blavity.

The survey, conducted by the Dr. N. Joyce Payne Research Center, the research arm of the Thurgood Marshall College Fund in collaboration with Gallup, polled alumni from 40 four-year HBCUs who graduated between 2010 and 2025. Among those surveyed, 70% said they are personally “thriving” in life, compared with 48% of Black adults nationwide.

The findings also point to stronger workplace engagement among HBCU graduates. Nearly 46% of respondents said they are engaged at work, compared with 31% of American workers overall. Alumni also described their college experiences as meaningful: 83% said they felt a strong sense of belonging during college, compared with 65% of all college graduates, and 94% said they had at least one professor who inspired them to learn, compared with 81% nationally.

TMCF President and CEO Harry L. Williams said the results reflect what HBCUs have long done with limited resources.

“HBCUs have done more with less throughout history and continue to produce outcomes like this report validates,” Williams said. He added that the schools play a role in “helping our graduates build meaningful lives and careers.”

Dr. N. Joyce Payne, TMCF’s founder and the research center’s namesake, called for more investment in HBCUs, both public and private.

“We must look at all of our HBCUs — public and private — and provide them with the tools they need to thrive,” Payne said.

Seventy-two percent of respondents said they would highly recommend their alma mater, well above the 44% national average among all college graduates. Seventy-nine percent said their HBCU education was worth the cost. “Proof of Promise” is planned as a three-part project. Part two, set for summer 2027, will expand the research to 64 HBCUs. Part three, scheduled for summer 2028, will add qualitative interviews with alumni.

The post HBCU alumni thrive more than non-HBCU alumni, per study appeared first on ClutchPoints.