Maryland's Historically Black Colleges and Universities At a Major Crossroads

By Alex Bayline
CAPITAL NEWS SERVICE

For the last decade, supporters of Maryland's four historically black colleges and universities have been waging a legal battle with the state government over the future of those institutions: Bowie State University, Coppin State University, Morgan State University and the University of Maryland Eastern Shore. At issue: whether the state has done enough to improve the HBCUs by helping them to attract more diverse student bodies. In 2016, the HBCUs are still serving the same population they have for decades: mostly African-American, generally from lower-performing public school systems in lower-income areas. As the two parties try to come to mutually agreed upon solutions, here are four things you need to know about Maryland's HBCUs.

1. HBCUs still have a largely African-American student body from parts of the state with lower-performing public schools

Historically black colleges and universities in Maryland are more segregated than the other public colleges and universities in the state. In 2015, African-Americans made up over 80 percent of the total population at Coppin State, Bowie State and Morgan State. UMES, the state's other HBCU, was more diverse, with African-Americans making up 67 percent of the student body.

Nearly 90 percent of students who attend a HBCU in Maryland come from Maryland -- and roughly three-quarters of those students come from Prince George's County, Baltimore City and Baltimore County. In 2015, high school students from Baltimore City and Prince George's County scored well below the state average on the High School Assessments, while Baltimore County students scored right around the state average.

Source: Maryland Higher Education Commission Enrollment By Place of Residence, Fall 2013, 2015 Maryland Report Card

2. HBCU students enter college with lower GPAs and Test Scores

Incoming freshmen at HBCUs tend to have lower GPAs than students at other Maryland schools. Bowie State, Coppin State and UMES had the three lowest average GPAs for incoming freshmen in the class of 2020. At all four historically black schools, the average GPA for incoming freshmen was below the state average. University of Maryland - College Park had the highest average GPA for incoming freshmen, 4.2.

Incoming freshmen at HBCUs also have lower SAT scores than students at other schools in Maryland. At all four HBCUs, they have an average SAT score of less than 900 - lower than the national average of 1010 and lower than the state average of 987.

3. Students often come from lower income families, which makes staying in school more financially challenging

Bowie State, Coppin State, UMES and Morgan State have the highest percentage of students receiving Pell Grants in the state. The grants help low-income students pay for college. Lower-income students are more likely to drop out of college for financial reasons than wealthier students.

At Maryland's four HBCUs, at least three out of every 10 freshman do not return for their sophomore year. Compare that to the University of Maryland, College Park, where only one out of 20 students leaves after their first year.

4. HBCU funding is on par with other Maryland schools

Advocates for HBCUs have argued that the schools are underfunded, a concern that was raised in the HBCU lawsuit brought against the state of Maryland in 2006. In 2016, Morgan State, Coppin State and UMES all have more operating budget funding per student than the state average at public universities. Despite their relatively high (or at least comparable) operating budgets, freshmen retention and graduation rates remain low.