Summary

This literature review examines challenges and promising practices for increasing college access and completion among boys and young men of color.

While K-12 educators have focused greater attention on closing gender and racial/ethnic gaps in academic readiness for college, our review focuses on a more puzzling phenomenon. Wide gaps in college enrollment and persistence remain even among, for example, Black and Latino boys who reach the end of high school academically prepared for post-secondary education.

Consequently, our review moves beyond issues of academic preparation to other factors that appear to mediate college access and success for boys and young men of color.

We begin by examining key challenges drawn from the available literature. We believe that these challenges represent the primary obstacles for boys and young men of color as they navigate preparing for college and persisting to completion. They are: (1) College Undermatch; (2) Imperfect Financial Aid Information and Support; (3) Racial and Stereotype Threat Linked to High School and Post-Secondary Dropout; (4) Experiences of Boys and Young Men of Color as Low-Income, First-generation to Attend Students; and (5) Lack of Equity-Focused Institutional Practices in K-12 and Post-Secondary Education.

Read the full report and find out more information at the John W. Gardner Center for Youth and their Communities.