A growing body of research suggests that where Black students attend college may have long-term effects on their health — particularly their brain health.
A recent study published in JAMA Network Open found that Black adults who attended historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) showed better cognitive function later in life compared to those who attended predominantly white institutions (PWIs).
Researchers analyzed data from 1,978 Black Americans who attended college between 1940 and 1980 — a period that spanned major milestones such as the 1954 Brown v. Board of Education decision and the 1964 Civil Rights Act. About 35% of participants attended an HBCU.
Decades later, those HBCU alumni consistently performed better in memory, language, and overall cognitive ability.
The findings were especially notable because they held true across different eras — before, during, and after school desegregation. That suggests the benefits of HBCU environments may extend beyond access to education alone.
Dr. Marilyn Thomas, an assistant professor of medicine at the University of California, San Francisco, said the results point to the power of culturally supportive environments.
“What’s really important about this finding is that it suggests that culturally affirming spaces can help promote and protect cognitive health,” she said.
Participants in the study had an average age of 62, meaning the cognitive benefits appeared decades after their college experience. Researchers say that kind of long-term impact is significant, especially as concerns about Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia continue to grow.
More than 7 million Americans are currently living with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias. Black Americans are at least twice as likely as white Americans to develop these conditions, making the study’s findings particularly important.
While education has long been linked to better brain health, this study goes a step further by examining the type of educational environment — not just years of schooling.
Researchers suggest that experiences with “state-sanctioned racialized education policies,” including segregation and discrimination, may have lasting effects on health outcomes. In contrast, HBCUs may provide environments that reduce stress, build confidence, and strengthen a sense of belonging — all factors that can influence long-term well-being.
Other research supports this idea. Studies have found that students at HBCUs are more likely to report feeling supported and connected on campus — experiences that can shape both academic success and future health.
Still, researchers caution that this study is just a starting point. It does not fully account for all factors that could influence outcomes, such as students who attended both HBCUs and PWIs at different stages of their education.
Even so, the findings highlight a key takeaway: environments that affirm identity and community may have lasting health benefits.
As debates continue nationally around diversity and inclusion in education, this study adds new evidence that those environments are not just meaningful — they may also be protective.
And for many HBCU graduates, the impact of that experience appears to last a lifetime.