The Postsecondary Enrollment of African American Men: Perceptions of Environmental Variables

Abstract

Higher education has made progress in the enrollment of under-represented minorities, yet very notably, African American men continue to enroll in college at very low rates. The current study explores the factors that lead to the college enrollment of African American men, using the lived experiences of 8 undergraduates at mid-western universities. The study findings are consistent with the emerging theory of Community Expectancy, suggesting that many informal factors play important roles in encouraging the academic performance and ultimately the college enrollment of African American men.