Supporting College Success for Black Graduates

In 2024, 57% of Black CPS graduates successfully enrolled in college in the fall immediately after high school graduation. When we look at college completion for the most recently available 6 year graduation cohort however, we see that for the class of 2018, 40.1% of those Black young women and 27.4% of Black young men who enrolled have actually walked across the stage with their college diploma or certificate. This data drawing from our annual Educational Attainment of CPS Students report represents the important finding that while Black student success in college IS happening in our city, there continues to be a need for unique and innovative strategies to ensure that all students have the resources, information, and support they need to make college a viable and successful option.
On February 24, 2026, join us for a virtual discussion that will center the success of Black college graduates in Chicago Public Schools and explore current initiatives underway to help strengthen college pathways and outcomes for Black CPS graduates. Following a presentation of data and existing research by Dominique McKoy of the To&Through Project, we will be joined by leaders and experts from Chicago Public Schools and a panel of CPS alumni to help deepen our understanding of Black CPS students navigating college in this current moment and the opportunities we have to improve our collective support of Black CPS students and alumni.