Research & Studies

Research Projects More Than $100 Billion Shortfall in Pell Grant Reserves Over the Next Decade

A new analysis from the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget has found the Pell Grant program is projected to be $5 billion in the red at the end of 2026. If congressional action is not taken to fix the program's structural shortfall, the Pell program faces a projected $104 billion to $157 billion cumulative deficit over the next decade.

The Median Household Income for Black Families Rose in Most U.S. States Since the Late 2000s

After adjusting for inflation, the median household income for Black households has increased in 38 states and the District of Columbia since 2009. Only one state (Nevada) experienced a decline in Black households' median income, while 11 states and Puerto Rico had no significant change.

Yale Study Finds Racial Disparities in Cardiovascular Deaths From Air Pollution

“These disparities reflect decades of structural and environmental inequities,” said senior author Kai Chen, associate professor of environmental health sciences at the Yale School of Public Health. “Communities of color are more likely to live near highways, industrial facilities, and other pollution sources, resulting in disproportionately higher exposure to air pollution.”

College-Educated Black Women Experienced the Largest Employment Losses in 2025

In 2025, Black women with a bachelor's degree as their highest level of education experienced a 3.5 percent drop in their employment rate, largely due to sweeping federal layoffs and buyouts over the past year.

Black Faculty Are Twice as Likely to Be Adjuncts Than Tenure-Track Professors

Black faculty represent 5 percent of tenure-track faculty, but 10 percent of adjuncts, who make significantly less money and receive fewer benefits.

Study Finds Older Black Adults Spend Fewer Years Married and More Time Living Alone

“These disparities are important because later-life living situations shape people’s social and financial security, and policies intended to support older Americans are often structured around traditional assumptions about marriage that most closely fit the experiences of White Americans,” said senior author Emma Zang of Yale University.

New Report Analyzes Post-Affirmative Action Enrollment Outcomes at Over Three Thousand U.S. Institutions

A new report from the grass-roots organization Class Action has analyzed federal data from 2024 regarding 3,000 colleges and universities compared to similar information from 2022 and 2023 to determine the immediate impact of the Supreme Court's 2023 decision to end affirmative action.

Pew Research Center Reports on the Growing Black Population in the United States

Since 2000, the number of Black people living in the United States has increased by 36 percent, up from 36.2 million to 49.2 million in 2024.

Black and Latino Teens Are More Likely Than Their Peers to Identify Online Racial Misinformation

“This work reveals that adolescents of color are already engaging in sophisticated forms of digital literacy,” said Avriel Epps of the University of California, Riverside. “They have developed these critical skills in many cases from their lived experiences navigating online racism, not necessarily from school-based instruction.”

Research Finds Washington, D.C. Has the Highest Racial Wealth Gap in the United States

In our nation's capital, White people earn about 64 percent more than Black people. Compared to White residents, Black residents of Washington, D.C. have a 374 percent higher poverty rate, are 61 percent less likely to have a bachelor's degree, and are 263 percent more likely to be unemployed.

Federal Data Shows Significantly Higher Divorce Rates Among Parents of Black Children

Nearly one-third of Americans born between 1988 and 1993 experience their parents' divorce in childhood. However, the impact of divorce is not spread evenly across racial groups, with 45 percent of Black children in this cohort experiencing divorce, compared to 30 percent of both White and Hispanic children and 17 percent of Asian children.

How Physical Activity in Adolescence Influences Future Breast Cancer Risk for Black and Hispanic Girls

“[Black and Hispanic women] not only have been historically underrepresented in studies, but they face higher risks of developing breast cancer at younger ages and of experiencing more aggressive subtypes,” said Columbia University's Rebecca Khem, lead author of a new study revealing higher levels of physical activity in adolescence could lower girls' future breast cancer risk.

Federal Commission Reports on the School-to-Prison Pipeline for Black Boys in the United States

“Education was meant to be a gateway to opportunity, not a sorting mechanism that determines who is punished and who is protected,” said Mark Spencer of the U.S. Commission on the Social Status of Black Men and Boys. “Our findings show that too many Black boys are still denied fairness at the very start of their educational journey.”

Joint Center Report Finds Significantly High Unemployment Rate Among Black Americans

“Regression is not destiny. But neither is progress automatic,” writes Joint Center chief of staff Monica Mitchell. “The path from signs of a Black recession to genuine economic security requires confronting the structural barriers this report documents.”

Study Finds Racial Biases in Media Coverage of Mass Shootings and Gun Violence

“Real-world gun violence disproportionately impacts communities of color, and our findings reveal that media coverage may compound these inequities through differential patterns of representation at scale,” the study authors write.

New UNCF Report Examines Presidential Tenure at HBCUs

Although the average tenure of all college presidents in the United States is 5.9 years, the tenure of HBCU presidents averages just 4.22 years, with public HBCU presidents serving an average of only 4 years.

Black Students’ Growth in College Applications Is Outpacing Their Peers

College applications submitted by Black or African American students via Common App are outpacing those submitted by their peers of other races. Compared to this point in the 2024-2025 application cycle, there has been an 11 percent increase in Black or African American applicants.

States That Are Making Progress in Reducing Racial Disparities

According to new research from WalletHub, Georgia, Mississippi, and Texas have made the most progress in reducing disparities between their Black and White residents over the past five decades.

Study Finds Significant Unmet Demand for Afterschool Programs for Black Families

According to new survey from the Afterschool Alliance, parents of some 5.7 million Black children want to enroll them in afterschool activities, yet only 1.3 million Black children currently attend such programs.

Research Shows Black Teens Use Social Media More Than Their Peers

Compared to their White and Hispanic peers, Black teens are more likely to use nearly every social media platform, particularly YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram. Over a third of Black teens say they are constantly on TikTok or YouTube on a daily basis.
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Rico Munn Named Chancellor of the Colorado State University System

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“The institutions of the CSU System have an extraordinary legacy of serving Colorado — a legacy I am honored and excited to help carry forward,” said Rico Munn, who will begin his role as system chancellor in 2027.

Michele Murray Appointed President of the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities

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The Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities is a national organization that supports Jesuit higher education institutions in the United States, Belize, and Canada. Dr. Murray, who currently serves as senior vice president for student development and mission at the College of the Holy Cross, is slated to become the association's next president on June 2.

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