Examining Faculty and Staff Salary Inequities Between Historically-Black Colleges and Universities and Non-HBCU Institutions of Higher Education

Abstract

Common within nearly all studies, researchers have found that low salaries (Bichsel et al., 2022; Clark, 2023; Scaringe, 2023) are a primary reason for faculty and staff to leave, especially at HBCUs (Herder, 2024; Lopez, 2023). As a result, this study leverages current Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) data (National Center for Education Statistics, 2024) to explore salary differences between faculty (multiple ranks) and staff (multiple classifications) at HBCUS and peer institutions. Quantitative analyses suggest that HBCU staff and faculty salaries lag considerably behind salaries at peer, non-HBCU institutions, suggesting financial inequities experienced by HCBUs may carry into compensation for faculty and staff, possibly limiting the impact that HBCUs can have within the Black community and beyond. Implications for research, policy, and practice are addressed, especially as they relate to federal funding mechanisms and private industry partnerships that could help provide HBCUs with the financial support they deserve to compensate HBCU faculty and staff equitably.