A decline in College enrollment of Black Students

A significant decline is evident in the number of black males’ enrollment and dropout rates in American colleges. Surveys have proved that the number of black males entering college programs and graduating from college has dropped to an alarming level This is attributed to racial discrimination and intolerance, and according to the “National Education Association’s 1992 Almanac of Higher Education”around 36% or more students are subject to discrimination, with the percentage increasing to as high as 74% for doctoral universities. Most minority groups suffer from some form of discrimination, which is basically the result of ignorance and fear.

Studies carried out by observed that minority students were socially and culturally estranged from white students who were usually in a majority.  The pre-dominant reasons for the social divide was that white students did not like black culture, racist comments passed against black students, and discouraging black students from socializing with white students Black students were also subjected to confrontation and racial violence, and such incidents are gradually increasing. According to Wilkerson, a reporter for the New York Times, African American students are made to feel unwelcome, and are treated as if they do not belong, they are usually cut off from mixing and socializing with white students, and white students are inaccessible and keep their distance from black students. 

The retention of students at American Colleges and Universities institutions is a very expensive and contentious problem. Although enrollment in colleges and universities has increased considerably as much ten-fold since the mid 1900s to approximately 14.

Million students each year, the challenge is to keep students in school remains a difficult task. Congress has paid special attention to this matter because the institutional graduation rate has persisted at a steady 50 percent for the last fifty years. That means that half of all students who enroll in colleges and universities do not achieve their desired goals of earning a degree and bettering their earning capacity and lead a better life.

 It is possible that these students are successful in other endeavors, and may have found other successes and changed their objective during that time, but it is somewhat distressing, that students fail to graduate. The thing is that “going to college” has changed significantly over time. As opportunities for higher education are now available, there has been a significant in the nature of the students and education and the pathways to and through college and university education. For American students in particular, the stakes have always been high. African American students have always fallen behind white and Asian students.