HBCUs are at the moment having fun with their highest ranges of cultural prominence in a long time. Enrollment is hovering and funding is growing. And a few count on software numbers to enhance even additional this yr on account of the Supreme Courtroom’s ruling in opposition to race-conscious admissions practices. Though HBCUs are extra mainstream than ever, a brand new report from EAB, the tutorial consulting agency targeted on enrollment administration, pupil success, and institutional technique, reveals that the scholars who search them out have a definite profile: they prize a way of belonging, they’ve distinctive communications preferences, and so they take a look at worth otherwise. It’s essential for traditionally Black colleges to know these college students if the HBCU increase is to be greater than a blip.

The report relies on EAB’s 2023 Pupil Communications Preferences survey, which was taken by over 1,000 college students who indicated that they have been contemplating an HBCU. These college students’ solutions have been in comparison with these of the over 19,000 college students who mentioned that they weren’t contemplating HBCUs and the practically 3,000 college students who self-identified as Black. Their responses revealed key variations.

These indicating curiosity in HBCUs, which the report known as “HBCU seekers,” labeled a way of belonging as one in every of their high priorities. HBCU seekers have been virtually two and a half occasions as probably as these not keen on HBCUs to say that they valued a various pupil physique, and virtually 50% extra prone to say that they wished to have “college students like me on campus.” (They have been over 20% extra prone to say this than Black college students as a gaggle.) Extra particularly, HBCU seekers have been practically 50% extra probably than non-HBCU seekers to prize sturdy college spirit and traditions, and greater than two and a half occasions extra prone to say that they wished energetic Greek life.

The discovering was unsurprising to Jacory Bernard, an undergraduate recruiter and new pupil help supervisor at Morehouse Faculty.

“That’s one thing that our college students talk,” he mentioned. “They’re in search of a house that may contribute not solely to their mental improvement, however their social improvement. I feel it’s comforting for college kids to know that there’s an setting that’s tailor-made to them from its origins.”

Dr. Pam Royall, head of analysis, enrollment providers at EABIn response to Dr. Pam Royall, the pinnacle of analysis, enrollment providers at EAB, the discovering offers a possibility for HBCUs to deploy their present college students and up to date alumni to get the phrase out.

“A very powerful factor is genuine messaging from near-peers,” she mentioned. “If I’m a university sophomore, and I can go to my highschool and discuss my expertise, [saying] ‘this can be a place the place I, as a pupil of shade, match; I’m in a position to excel; I get the form of social help I would like,’ that messaging is as strong because it will get.”

A vital place to speak that sense of belonging is on social media. HBCU seekers have been 10% extra probably than non-seekers to have interacted with a university on social media and have been virtually 20% extra prone to be open to social media advertisements from schools. In response to Bernard, social is a vital a part of Morehouse’s recruiting technique.

“Social media is an outstanding alternative for establishments like Morehouse to actually present pupil life,” he mentioned. “We’re in a position to present college students homecoming celebrations the place over 30,000 alumni come again, or hip-hop live shows the place we function visitor stars like Travis Scott and Drake, and even our Black Males’s Analysis Institute, the place we’re in a position to present among the analysis findings of scholars, college, and workers.”

Social media could also be notably necessary given one other of the report’s findings: that 60% of HBCU seekers stay outdoors of the southeast, the place HBCUs are concentrated. HBCUs are nonetheless a draw for these college students—they have been 30% likelier than these not keen on HBCUs to be prepared to journey 4 hours or extra for college. Social media may give these far-off college students a style of what HBCUs campuses feel and look like.

Nonetheless, HBCU seekers admire extra conventional types of contact as properly, reminiscent of letters and e-mail. The report discovered that the HBCU-curious have been practically 20% extra prone to say that they like receiving a private letter from a university and 12% extra prone to say that they like getting e-mail.

The latter discovering stunned Bernard.

“I assumed college students can be inundated with emails and so they wouldn’t wish to obtain them,” he mentioned.

Bernard believes that college students could want them as a result of they really feel extra private.

A Morehouse homecoming“If a pupil who has dreamt of coming to Morehouse sees an e-mail from Morehouse within the flood of emails coming from each different model or advertiser on the earth, that, for them, is an oz of pleasure of their day,” he mentioned. “[It says], they’re fascinated about me, this establishment desires me.”

College students who’re keen on HBCUs additionally seem to start out their school searches earlier. HBCU-seekers have been greater than 40% likelier to start out investigating schools earlier than highschool, and over 25% likelier to have began by the tip of their sophomore yr. EAB attributed to this to the bigger function that household connections, phrase of mouth, and neighborhood occasions usually play in HBCU recruitment. Royall argued that because of this colleges ought to talk otherwise.

“The message must be extra like a public service announcement,” she mentioned. “It’s not a lot a advertising and marketing message as it’s informational content material. The concept is that we would like you to search out the perfect match college for you by making you conscious of the variety of choices that’s obtainable.”

Lastly, the report discovered that, though HBCU seekers are involved with affordability, similar to all different college students, they understand worth otherwise. College students open to HBCUs have been extra prone to say that scholarships and monetary help have been high indicators of worth, nevertheless they have been much less prone to emphasize a smaller sticker worth. This, the report suggests, would possibly imply that HBCU seekers are open to increased checklist costs in the event that they know that the last word worth that they pay might be decrease.

The EAB report reveals that college students who’re keen on attending HBCUs are a singular group with particular needs and wishes. Establishments which can be hoping to benefit from the present second would do properly to maintain these desires in thoughts as they craft recruitment methods going ahead.

Jon Edelman might be reached at JEdelman@DiverseEducation.com