Student Satisfaction at HBCUs

Student satisfaction is a critical component for student success. At RNL, we have observed that satisfaction can vary based on the institution type. Student satisfaction levels at a four-year private may differ from a four-year public. In addition, we have seen that students at schools with a specific identity or mission (such as Christian colleges) may also have different levels of satisfaction. This is why it is helpful for institutions to have an external perspective for comparing their satisfaction scores with institutions that are most like theirs—by type, region of the country, or by the particular population of students they serve.

The value and impact of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) is well known and documented. HBCUs play a crucial role in advancing educational equity, fostering leadership, and preparing students to excel in a global workforce. Despite comprising roughly 3% of U.S. colleges and universities, HBCUs produce nearly a quarter of all Black graduates, with impact extending beyond academic preparation, serving as powerful engines of economic growth, providing supportive learning environments, and culturally affirming communities at critical times in the student development cycle.

HBCUs have experienced a surge in student interest over the past several years, leading many campuses to review and refine recruitment and student success strategies. As a result of the increased prioritization of student satisfaction, over the past three years, RNL has created a national comparison group of four-year private and public HBCUs, offering the best external comparison by which institutions may compare themselves. These data can also inform our understanding of the student experience at HBCUs.

How satisfied are students attending HBCUs?

The RNL Student Satisfaction Inventory (SSI) is a survey instrument that measures student satisfaction and priorities. The assessment informs campuses of satisfaction levels of various aspects of the student experience, including instructional effectiveness, academic advising, and recruitment and financial aid. The assessment then identifies how those satisfaction levels affect student decisions related to persistence. Over the past three academic years (2021-22, 2022-23, and 2023-24), 8,938 students attending 20 HBCUs have completed the SSI, providing an opportunity for us to assess their satisfaction and compare it to students at other four-year public or private institutions.

Why do students choose HBCUs?

The SSI asks students to rate the importance of factors that influenced their decision to enroll at their college or university. When we explore the results for students at HBCUs compared with students at the other two institution types, we see the following levels of importance placed on each factor:

Note the higher importance levels HBCU students placed on recommendations from family and friends, underscoring the importance of highlighting student and alumni outcomes. These results invite university leaders, including admissions and enrollment officers, institutional advancement/transformation officers, and leadership within alumni affairs, to consider how they are positioning various factors and what messaging they may want to emphasize throughout the recruitment process.

As this chart on overall perceptions indicates, students at HBCUs have lower levels over overall satisfaction and were less likely to say they would re-enroll at their institution if they had to do it all over again compared to four-year institutions nationally. Although several factors may contribute to differences in satisfaction levels, this indicates that there is potential for improvement in serving students at HBCUs and meeting their expectations. Several factors may contribute to the differences in satisfaction levels. The call to action, however, is clear—campuses must create and implement concrete action plans to address high priority concerns.

The Power of Institutional Choice

For years, RNL has noted that students attending their first-choice institution tend to have higher satisfaction than students attending their second- or third-choice institution. Ideally, an institution should strive to have the majority population believe the institution is their first choice, to be in the best position for higher satisfaction scores. In this HBCU data set, the impact of institutional choice is clearly seen. As illustrated in the chart below, only 47% of students indicate that the HBCU was their first choice, as compared with 64% of students at four-year public nationally and 63% of students at four-year private institutions.

While these two charts look similar, the second one shows the percentage of students who said they were satisfied or very satisfied with their experience based on whether they thought the school was their first-, second- or third-choice. These percentages decline considerably for students who did not want to attend the institution.

This indicates that HBCUs have an opportunity to better position themselves as a first-choice institution for the population of students they are actively recruiting and to communicate why their college is the best fit and the best option for the student. Larger sample sizes from HBCU campuses could further assist with understanding the impact of institutional choice on satisfaction levels.

Many strengths and a few challenges

The SSI asks students to indicate both a level of importance and a level of satisfaction with a variety of student experiences both inside and outside of the classroom. The combination of these scores lead to the identification of strengths (high importance and high satisfaction) and challenges (high importance and low satisfaction). Strengths and challenges are identified for individual institutions administering the survey instrument and can also be indicated for the national comparison data sets.

When we reviewed the national HBCU group of 8,938 students, more strengths than challenges were identified.

Strengths

• My academic advisor is knowledgeable about requirements in my major.
• Major requirements are clear and reasonable.
• I am able to experience intellectual growth here.
• Tutoring services are readily available.
• Nearly all of the faculty are knowledgeable in their field.
• My academic advisor is approachable.
• The content of the courses within my major is valuable.
• Library resources and services are adequate.
• There is a strong commitment to racial harmony on this campus.
• Faculty are usually available after class and during office hours.
• There is a commitment to academic excellence on this campus.
• Class change (drop/add) policies are reasonable.
• Student disciplinary procedures are fair.
• The student center is a comfortable place for students to spend their leisure time.
• Library staff are helpful and approachable.
• Bookstore staff are helpful.

While many of these strengths overlap with what we see in the national four-year private and public data sets, it is still noteworthy to highlight that, despite the generally lower satisfaction scores at HBCUs, there are still many areas to celebrate. Students value the support received by faculty and staff. Students appreciate the availability of academic resources. Students are highly appreciative that their campus communities are accepting and affirming of who they are and support who they are seeking to become.

Challenges

Only five challenges were identified in the national HBCU data set:

• I am able to register for classes I need with few conflicts.
• Tuition paid is a worthwhile investment.
• Security staff respond quickly in emergencies.
• This institution shows concern for students as individuals.
• Faculty provide timely feedback about student progress in a course.

Again, most of these items overlap with challenges identified at the other institution types, which says that the experience students are having at HBCUs may be more similar than it is different. However, that does not discount the fact that the HBCUs bring something special to the marketplace for students.

Survey your students

While observing national norms is valuable, the greatest value comes when institutions survey their own student populations to determine satisfaction levels and to see specific strengths and challenges that apply to their college or university. Please contact Julie Bryant if you are interested in learning more about assessing student satisfaction on your campus. If you are an HBCU, RNL will provide the additional comparison group of just HBCUs to you at no additional charge.

RNL supports HBCUs through various initiatives aimed at enhancing enrollment, student success, and fundraising efforts. Key contributions include:

• Annual HBCU Summit: RNL organizes a yearly summit tailored for HBCU leaders to network, share data, exchange ideas, and develop actionable plans for immediate campus implementation. This year’s summit will take place July 21 in Atlanta, Georgia, and will focus on marketing, recruitment, student success strategies, the impact of trends and technology on HBCUs and the impact sociopolitical climate shifts will have on operational strategy.
• On-demand webinars: RNL offers webinars such as “Amplifying Excellence: Enhancing Student Success and Retention at HBCUs,” which explore data on first-year students and HBCUS while providing strategies to support student retention and degree attainment.
• Dedicated team for HBCUs: RNL has an established team of senior-level consultants focused on supporting HBCUs. I lead this team, and we aim to help institutions enhance service to students, meet enrollment and revenue goals, and fulfill their mission.

Through these efforts, RNL demonstrates a commitment to empowering HBCUs with the tools and knowledge necessary to thrive in a competitive educational landscape.