Researchers at the University of Southern California recently launched a dashboard using federal data from the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System to track Black student progress at California’s newly designated Black-Serving Institutions (BSIs).
Significance. The data shows that 43,552 Black students across the state attend one of the 31 newly designated BSIs. This is about 28% of all Black college students in California. Several schools have seen an overall uptick in enrollment since 2015. The data show that at 18 of the 31 BSIs, Black students are completing or graduating below an 80% benchmark.
The power structure. In 2024, the California Legislature passed a law recognizing Black-Serving Institutions (BSIs) as colleges and universities in the state that work toward success for Black students. This designation doesn’t come with funding. But it helps the state track programs and understand how it could make education equitable for Black students across the state.
To qualify, institutions must have a minimum of 1,500 Black students enrolled or be a school where Black students comprise 10% of the population. Institutions must also provide data on their enrollment, retention, and graduation rates, and plans to close opportunity gaps.
Overlooked angle. Although these institutions were designated as Black-Serving Institutions in recognition of their initiatives and the Black students they serve, there is still a lot of work to be done if they are to become successful models for closing equity gaps.
What experts say. “The BSI designation and the commitment these 31 schools have made to strengthen Black student success have the potential to be transformative,” said Royel M. Johnson, the principal investigator of the project and an associate professor of higher education and social work at the University of Southern California, in a statement. “This dashboard is one tool for monitoring that progress. Recognition without accountability is merely symbolism. By making these data public, we are empowering campuses, policymakers, and communities to see, year after year, whether the designation translates into meaningful gains in Black student access and success.”
