And this is what we wanted to say back to them:
Dear Forbes Opinion Editors,
Asia Alexander’s August 2026 ranking of America’s top HBCUs is the first of its kind from a major national publication, and it deserves the attention it is receiving. We write to propose a response op-ed that builds directly on her work and adds a dimension that her methodology could not capture.
We are the editors of Scalable STEM Interventions at HBCUs: Theory and Practice for Lasting Change (Routledge, 2027). One chapter of our volume applies Harvard economist Raj Chetty’s intergenerational mobility framework to ask a different question than Forbes asks: not which HBCUs produce the highest-earning graduates, but which institutions move the most families out of poverty.The findings reframe Alexander’s story in ways that matter for policymakers and funders.
Chetty’s work was drawn from national income tax and census data and tracked more than 30 million college attendees. Our analysis of the dataset revealed that HBCU students come from families earning nearly $32,000 less annually than their non-HBCU peers — yet the gap between what their parents earned and what they earn as adults is 68% smaller than at non-HBCUs. Holding family income constant, HBCU attendance is associated with $5,784 higher median earnings. Most strikingly, HBCUs outperform even highly selective public institutions on mobility rates — regardless of whether they appear on Alexander’s top-20 list.
Our argument is not that Forbes’ top 20 HBCU listing is incorrect. It is that it is incomplete. The HBCUs doing the hardest work of moving students from the bottom of the income ladder to the top may never appear on a prestige ranking. We contend that this fact is worth reporting.
We have a 900-word op-ed ready to submit. It is timely, data-driven, and explicitly positioned as a complement to Alexander’s piece rather than a rebuttal.
Would Forbes Opinion consider publishing it?
Thank you for your consideration.
Warmly,
Cheryl P. Talley, Ph.D.
Rihana S. Mason, Ph.D.
Jon Grahe, Ph.D.
Editors, Scalable STEM Interventions at HBCUs: Theory and Practice for Lasting
When they didn’t answer, we went here:
Greetings, Scholars –
Great news!
Your article, “Forbes Ranks the Best HBCU’s: The more important question is what ALL HBCUs do” will be announced on Saturday, September 12th. Please look for it to repost and share with your community.
Congratulations, and thank you for sharing your work with UWP and the broader community.
Dr. Ayo Sekai
Political Linguist | Methodologist | Education Advocate
Author | Founder | Publisher
Universal Write Publications
