College Access Improves for Black Students but for Which Ones?

The challenges for increasing opportunities and college access for black students typically focus on the traditional barriers related to academic preparation, the racial gap in standardized test scores, and dropping out of high school. While these challenges remain, new and emerging challenges to college access are also important to discuss. They involve taking a closer look at the diversity and heterogeneity within the black population as well as closely examining the push to make state schools more elite.