HU School of Business Examines College Rankings
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Posted By: Kenyana Madison on July 25, 2008 Hampton, VA - The results of a recent study by Hampton University School of Business researchers found that the best method to rank the top colleges and universities for African-American students was to base the rankings on the impact of the alumni of the institutions. Dr. Sid Howard Credle, dean of the HU School of Business, conducted the study along with Dr. Sharad Maheshwari, associate professor; Janelle Pridgen-Davenport, instructor; and HU MBA graduate students. "The current weighted index model although useful to some, generally excludes Historically Black Colleges and Universities and is biased. You can change the weight of model variables to produce a desired outcome," said Credle. "We found that our method reduces bias, and results in realistic rankings." The research report, "An Alternative Ranking Methodology to Determine the Best Colleges and Universities for African Americans, Based on the Success of Alumni," was awarded the 2008 Outstanding Research Award by the Institute for Business and Finance Research. The paper was presented at the Global Institute in Costa Rica in May. The report examined the undergraduate, graduate and postgraduate college degrees of the most successful African Americans in 2005. The list of 411 influential African Americans was compiled from several lists of prominent African Americans included in Black Enterprise, Ebony magazine and additional sources. The list included prominent lawyers, judges, entrepreneurs, presidents of U.S. universities, high-ranking members of the government, non-profit institutions and members of corporate America. The results indicated that while Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) only represent four percent of the nation's four-year colleges, 38 percent of the 411 influential African Americans on the list attended an HBCU. Howard University and Morehouse College were tied as the top schools represented. Harvard was next on the list. Yale, Florida A&M, North Carolina A&T, Hampton, Cornell, Northwestern, Michigan, Fisk and Morgan State completed the top 12 schools. "The evidence clearly indicates that the HBCUs compete primarily with the subset of richly endowed Ivy League TWI schools when measuring alumni success," said Maheshwari. The report also examined the sample's attendance at graduate schools and law schools to determine entrance rates and the quality of the graduate schools attended. According to the report, 83 percent of those studied who attended an HBCU and 83 percent of the African-Americans studied who attended a Traditionally White Institution (TWI) went on to earn a graduate degree. The study showed no greater benefit to attending a TWI or detriment in attending an HBCU when it pertains to attaining graduate degrees. Moreover, there was no significant difference in the quality of graduate schools attended by the African Americans studied. Pridgen- Davenport stated, "It should be recognized that all data can be viewed from a variety of perspectives and the determination of the best school or group of schools is inherently subjective. Ultimately it is the current student and active alumni who will determine if an institution of higher education is truly the best." If you enjoyed this article, Join HBCU CONNECT today for similar content and opportunities via email! |
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More great research coming out of Hampton. Thanks for posting this!
Friday, July 25th 2008 at 4:32PM |
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