Examining the Institutional Characteristics Predicting the Six-Year Graduation Rate for Black, Latinx, and Pell Grant Students

Background: The present mood hovering over the American higher education system now expects post-secondary institutions to show that not only are their admissions policies without prejudice but that their students complete college within six years and that college graduates are ready to meet the labor demand of the country. This addendum to current federal policy seems reasonable given the exorbitant increase in college cost and student loan debt that continues to outpace the U.S. inflation rate (Chakrabarti, Nober, & Van der Klaauw, 2020). Despite the unified efforts by federal and state governments and initiatives by organizations in the not-for-profit sector, however, the national college graduation rates have made only incremental improvements over the last few decades. Purpose: This study sought to answer the following research questions: (1) What institutional characteristics predict six-year graduation rates among Black, Latinx, and Pell Grant students; (2) Does the racial composition of faculty have a positive relationship to the graduation rate for Black, Latinx and Pell Grant students; and (3) Which, if any, institutional funding source(s) positively associate with six-year graduation rates among Black, Latinx and Pell Grant students? The study applied Bensimon’s Equity Scorecard as the theoretical framework. Methods: Using panel data across nine years (2009 to 2018), this study utilized OLS regressions for the analysis. The dependent variables of interest were the six-year graduation rates for Black, Latinx and Pell Grant students, respectively. The key independent variables of interest were MSI designation (e.g., Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs), Historical Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs)), the racial composition of faculty, and federal and state funding levels across various categories. Results: HBCUs showed a positive relationship with the six-year graduation rate for all students, but particularly for Black, Latinx and Pell Grant students. The number of Black faculty showed a positive relationship with the total six-year graduation rate, and specifically for Black, Latinx and Pell Grant students. The number of Latinx faculty showed a positive association with the Black and Latinx graduation rate. Federal funding in the form of Pell and other grants had a negative association to the total graduation. Institutional expenditures towards academic support and student affairs had a positive relationship with the Black graduation rate while private funding and institutional endowment showed a positive association to the Latinx graduation rate. Conclusion: Learning from the successes of HBCUs, other institutional types ought to adopt strengths-based approaches found within HBCUs to improve the six-year graduation rates for marginalized communities. Diversifying faculty and appropriating institutional support for marginalized students also ought to be a priority for institutions focused on enhancing six-year graduation rates for all students.