HBCU Labor Market Outcomes: An Examination Of Baccalaureate Degree Holders’ Earnings And Benefits

Abstract

Guided by the theoretical framework of human capital theory and using data from the Baccalaureate and Beyond Longitudinal Study, this chapter investigated labor market outcomes for graduates of historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) compared to their non-HBCU counterparts. The results from this study largely indicate that there are no significant disadvantages for Black graduates of HBCUs in terms of labor market outcomes. Moreover, under the premise of human capital theory, this study found that HBCUs serve as equivalent mechanisms for human capital attainment for Black students. This chapter concludes with limitations of the study as well as implications for future research.

Citation

Wood, J.L. and Palmer, R.T. (2017), "HBCU Labor Market Outcomes: An Examination Of Baccalaureate Degree Holders’ Earnings And Benefits", Brown, M.C. and Dancy, T.E. (Ed.) Black Colleges Across the Diaspora: Global Perspectives on Race and Stratification in Postsecondary Education (Advances in Education in Diverse Communities, Vol. 14), Emerald Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 171-186. https://doi.org/10.1108/S1479-358X20160000014009