Black community colleges aren’t waiting for change. They’re designing it from the ground up.
Some of America’s most vital engines of post-high school learning and opportunity are overlooked and underfunded. Historically Black Community Colleges (HBCCs) and Predominantly Black Community Colleges (PBCCs) play an outsized role in connecting people to learning, credentials, and careers, especially in communities that traditional schools have long underserved.
Yet despite their importance in students’ lives, these colleges face tough odds and often go unrecognized. That’s why a new study on mapping opportunities for students of these schools is so valuable. It brings long-overdue visibility to these institutions and their communities. Our partners at Equivolve Consulting offer several key insights, but two stand out: Geography’s role in shaping educational access, and the innovations happening daily at HBCCs and PBCCs.
1. Geography shouldn’t limit learning
Students don’t have the same access to education after high school across the country, the new study, “Mapping Opportunity,” shows. Vast areas, particularly rural regions and parts of the South, lack proximity to open institutions that typically accept at least 80 percent of their applicants, often referred to as Broad-Access Institutions (BAIs). Areas without these schools, or “education deserts,” disproportionately affect Black learners and working adults who may not have the time, resources, or flexibility to travel far for college.
Where people live should not determine their chance to learn, earn, and thrive. The study’s map shows that HBCCs and PBCCs are often the only accessible, affordable educational option within a given commuting zone. Proximity to these institutions is a critical gateway to opportunity. Without these institutions, millions of learners would be left without realistic pathways to credentials and careers.
2. Innovation thrives at the margins
HBCCs and PBCCs are centers of grassroots innovation. These institutions are often under-recognized in national conversations about post-high school learning, but they are quietly leading the way in serving adult learners, first-generation students, and communities of color.
From flexible class schedules to holistic student supports, HBCCs and PBCCs are responsive by design. They’re not trying to retrofit a traditional college model. Instead, they’ve built systems specifically for the realities their students face, and quite frankly, many students face. This includes addressing housing and food insecurity, transportation barriers, and the need for accelerated learning pathways. These colleges have long been doing the kind of student-centered redesign that funders and policymakers have only recently started to prioritize.
At Lumina Foundation, we see these institutions not as marginal players but as models of what higher education can be. We work to support and scale these innovations, not by imposing outside solutions, but by listening to and partnering with those on the ground.
This report reinforces what we at Lumina have long believed: HBCCs and PBCCs are essential infrastructure for an equitable learning system. They are welcoming, purpose-driven, and profoundly impactful. It’s up to us to ensure they get the recognition and support they need as we illuminate these powerful pathways to student success.