Decision Day: Why Choosing an HBCU Is Choosing More

Decision Day—May 1st—is just around the corner, and for thousands of students across the country, that poses one extremely important question: Where will you choose to build your future?

At HBCU Leggings, we already know our answer.

Everyone deserves access to higher education that prepares them for success. That belief is more than just a slogan at Historically Black Colleges and Universities. It’s a core value and the foundation on which more than 100 institutions were built.

For more than 150 years, HBCUs have carried a singular mission: educate students who were denied access elsewhere and prepare them not just to graduate but also to innovate, reimagine, and lead. This mission was born out of pure necessity that has become a tradition of excellence.

As Decision Day approaches, it is worth asking not just where you want to go to college but also what kind of environment will shape you while you are there.

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Infographic via hbcugameday.com

Proven Academic Outcomes

Let’s start with some great news.

Benedict College recently announced a staggering 104 percent increase in its four-year graduation rate. You read that right. More than double its previous rate.

Historically, between 2007 and 2017, Benedict’s four-year graduation rate averaged 13.7 percent. Today, recent cohorts have climbed to 28 percent and beyond. Even during the pandemic, the college maintained a 24 percent graduation rate. Its six-year graduation rate for the most recent cohort exceeds the national average by 2.7 percent.

Now this change didn’t arise by coincidence; it came through strategic and targeted efforts. This includes investment in academic programming, wrap-around student services, data-driven advising, and professional development initiatives. And still, the institution is moving the needle.

But this isn’t just true for Benedict College.

Controlled comparisons consistently show that HBCUs retain and graduate Black students at higher rates than non-HBCU institutions, even after accounting for socioeconomic status and academic preparation. That means when students arrive with similar academic backgrounds and financial realities, those attending HBCUs are more likely to persist and complete their degrees.

Support leads to completion, and completion leads to future success.

HBCUs generate 25 percent of all bachelor’s degrees in STEM fields earned by African Americans. They award 14 percent of all engineering degrees earned by Black students nationwide. They graduate the highest number of African Americans who go on to earn doctoral degrees in science and engineering of any sector of U.S. higher education.

The impact is right here in the numbers.

And they do it while operating with fewer financial resources than many predominantly white institutions.

That’s because HBCUs know that education reaches beyond the classroom. Their students thrive across the board.

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Infographic via UNCF.org

A Supportive Atmosphere That Fuels Success

Academic outcomes are crucial, but so is how you feel while earning that degree.

Ask any HBCU alum what made the difference, and you will hear a common thread: Community.

At HBCUs, you are not a number. Faculty members are more likely to use active classroom practices and emphasize personal and social responsibility. They know your name. They speak your language. They can relate to your lived experience and help you overcome specific obstacles to help you succeed.

And here’s where HBCUs continue to stand out.

A recent report titled Community, Culture, and Care: A Cross-Institutional Analysis of Mental Health Among HBCU and PBI Students surveyed 2,504 students across 16 HBCUs and two Predominantly Black Institutions. The findings were clear:

• 45 percent of HBCU/PBI students reported flourishing mentally, compared to 36 percent nationally.
• 83 percent reported a strong sense of belonging on campus, compared to 73 percent nationally.
• HBCU students showed significantly lower rates of anxiety, eating disorders, and substance use compared to national averages.

A strong sense of belonging isn’t just a "bonus." It is a protective factor that leads to real, positive outcomes. 

When students feel connected to their campus community, they are more likely to persist, engage, seek help when needed, and graduate.

And the impact may extend even further than college. A separate study published in JAMA Network Open examined 1,978 Black Americans who attended college between 1940 and 1980. Researchers asked whether attending an HBCU influenced long-term cognitive health. You may be surprised by the results.

Black adults who attended an HBCU demonstrated better memory and cognitive function at age 62 compared to peers who attended predominantly white institutions.

Even limited exposure to an HBCU experience was associated with long-term cognitive benefits.

Let that sink in. The campus climate you choose at 18 could still be influencing your health at 62.

Now, the data also tells a fuller story. Financial stress remains a major challenge for many HBCU students. More than half of surveyed students reported their financial situation as frequently stressful, and those experiencing high financial stress reported significantly higher rates of mental health challenges.

But despite financial pressures, HBCU students still report stronger belonging and higher flourishing rates than national averages.

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The Choice Is Bigger Than a Campus

Decision Day is about more than where you’ll take classes. It’s about the environment that will shape who you become. For more than 150 years, Historically Black Colleges and Universities have created spaces where leadership is cultivated, excellence is expected, and access is intentional.

Founded to educate African Americans, HBCUs have always welcomed students of diverse races, ethnicities, and nationalities. Although commitment to Black excellence is a specific focus, it strengthens the collective experience. Students gain cultural grounding while engaging a broad, global academic community built on rigor and opportunity.

That foundation has produced results. HBCUs have graduated university presidents, Nobel Prize winners, Fortune 500 executives, artists, scientists, ministers, and public servants. Choosing an HBCU means stepping into a leadership pipeline powered by generations of momentum and resilience.

If you’re committing to an HBCU this Decision Day, celebrate it boldly. Order your HBCU Leggings now to make sure your gear arrives in time for the May 1st photos and celebrations. The yard is waiting. Shop now at HBCULeggings.com and wear your decision with pride.

Love and Leggings,

Bibi