New Research Shows the Highlights and Opportunities California’s Black-Serving Institutions
In 2024, California created a Black-serving Institution (BSI) designation for colleges and universities that enroll at least 10% Black students—or a minimum of 1,500 Black students—and take specific steps to support them. A new Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) dashboard uses federal data to track student outcomes at BSIs, with the goal of evaluating future progress for Black students.
“Just being a BSI doesn’t mean that you are succeeding in supporting Black students,” said Royel Johnson, associate professor of higher education and social work at USC and principal investigator of the data project. “It just means that you’ve made a compelling case for what you plan to do over the next five years.” Over time, the dashboard will “allow us to see whether or not that commitment translates into material gains in terms of enrollment, retention and completion.”
Data shows that almost 44,000 Black students attend the 31 designated institutions, representing 28 percent of all Black college students in California. Black enrollment and completion rates have seen great gains at some institutions. But at 18 of the 31 BSIs as of 2023, Black students completed and graduated at 80 percent the rate of their peers.
Many BSIs are using the new data at their disposal to guide budgeting priorities, but leaders believe this strategy should extend beyond the institutions. The hope is that the data is not merely an information tool, but the starting point to advocate for money for BSIs, and support institutions ability to foster success for Black students.