Post by louie lumberjack on Aug 1, 2007 12:24:36 GMT -5
By DIVERSE: ISSUES IN HIGHER EDUCATION MAGAZINE
Black men who earn degrees from historically Black colleges and universities have higher lifetime earnings than those attending other four-year institutions, according to a new study by researchers from Virginia Tech.
The findings on the economic impact of HBCUs are described in the study “The Wage Earnings Impact of Historically Black Colleges and Universities,” which will appear in the next issue of Southern Economic Journal.
“Our study … shows that Black males have no initial advantage from HBCU attendance but that their wages increase 1.4 percent to 1.6 percent faster per year after attending HBCUs compared to Black males who attended other colleges and universities,” says Dr. Bradford F. Mills, a professor in the Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics.
Researchers analyzed existing data from the National Longitudinal Surveys, which gathered information at various points in time on the financial situation of men and women from 1979 and 2004. They created earnings profiles of individuals over time and looked at the impact HBCU attendance has on initial post-college earnings, current wage data and the average annual growth rate of wages.
Previous studies on the earnings of HBCU graduates revealed conflicting results — a 1994 study found an up to 12 percent wage loss for HBCU graduates compared to graduates of other schools but a 1995 study said HBCU graduates earned 38 percent more than Black graduates of other schools. “We agree with studies from both researchers, but we reconcile the differences by showing how the benefits of HBCU attendance accrue over time, with the greatest rewards in later years,” Mills says.
Black men who earn degrees from historically Black colleges and universities have higher lifetime earnings than those attending other four-year institutions, according to a new study by researchers from Virginia Tech.
The findings on the economic impact of HBCUs are described in the study “The Wage Earnings Impact of Historically Black Colleges and Universities,” which will appear in the next issue of Southern Economic Journal.
“Our study … shows that Black males have no initial advantage from HBCU attendance but that their wages increase 1.4 percent to 1.6 percent faster per year after attending HBCUs compared to Black males who attended other colleges and universities,” says Dr. Bradford F. Mills, a professor in the Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics.
Researchers analyzed existing data from the National Longitudinal Surveys, which gathered information at various points in time on the financial situation of men and women from 1979 and 2004. They created earnings profiles of individuals over time and looked at the impact HBCU attendance has on initial post-college earnings, current wage data and the average annual growth rate of wages.
Previous studies on the earnings of HBCU graduates revealed conflicting results — a 1994 study found an up to 12 percent wage loss for HBCU graduates compared to graduates of other schools but a 1995 study said HBCU graduates earned 38 percent more than Black graduates of other schools. “We agree with studies from both researchers, but we reconcile the differences by showing how the benefits of HBCU attendance accrue over time, with the greatest rewards in later years,” Mills says.