A new study found that attending a historically Black college or university (HBCU) as a young adult is better for the long-term cognitive outcomes of Black Americans.
The study, published in the JAMA Network Open last month, featured co-authors from Rutgeters University, the University of Alabama at Birmingham, Columbia University, Boston University, and Harvard University. As The Guardian first reported, the authors sampled over 1,900 Black American adults who attended college between 1940 and 1980 and who attended high school in a state with an HBCU. Approximately 35% of those sampled attended an HBCU. Researchers found a correlation between the collegiate environment and long-term wellness.
During this timeframe, students nationwide experience two major policy changes that shape education nationwide. In 1952, the Supreme Court ruled that racial segregation was unconstitutional in the landmark case Brown v. Board of Education. More than a decade later, the Civil Rights Act of 1964 barred racial discrimination in schools.
Dr. Marilyn Thomas, an
assistant professor of medicine at the University of California, San Francisco, wanted to investigate whether students who attended HBCUs had different outcomes than those who attended predominantly white institutions (PWIs) during this timeframe.Two Different Life Outcomes
As the study pointed out, HBCU graduates had better memory and cognitive function than those who attended a predominantly PWI. HBCU students also had varied early-life experiences, including encouragement to attend school.
“Participants who attended HBCUs were more likely, for example, to have mothers or female caregivers who had a college education,” Thomas told The Guardian
. “They were also more likely to have reported being shown affection when they were growing up, love and affection.”While Thomas noted the study was only exploratory, she said it is the first of its kind to look at the effect of years of schooling on cognition.
“What’s really important about this finding is that it suggests that, yes, culturally affirming spaces actually can help promote and
protect cognitive health,” Thomas added. “It’s even more than that because it doesn’t just demonstrate that it’s protective against cognitive health, but the benefits of this exposure last well beyond graduation.”RELATED CONTENT: Dr. ‘Shyne’ Barrow Charts An Impressive Course For Diasporic Excellence At Island Music Conference 2026