A Qualitative Case Study on the College Success Factors of African American Males

African American males are having difficulties graduating from higher education institutions. The problem addressed in this study is that of African-American males who enroll in a 4-year college, only 17.7% graduate, but little is known regarding the myriad of factors that contribute to the success of African-American males who do matriculate through college. The percentage of African American males who enroll yearly in higher education is still the same as the percentage of African American males who enrolled in 1976. Unfortunately, two-thirds of those who enroll never complete their degree program. African American males who are unable to earn a degree from a higher education institution are more likely to be negatively impacted based on their quality of life. Identifying how African-American males' quality of life is more likely to be negatively affected for those unable to graduate from college will have a significant effect. The aim of this qualitative study was to identify the factors that influenced African American males in higher education regarding graduation persistence. The researcher sought the views of African American males to learn about the challenges that they face in their pursuit of a bachelor's college degree until saturation was achieved. Identifying the factors that influence African American males' persistence in higher education will help improve on the long term employment opportunities of African American males, reduce the incarceration rate of this population, and promote future generations of African American male graduates. A cross case analysis was used to analyze semi-structured interviews as well as participant observations and document collection. The researcher used Atlas.ti 7 coding software to determine common themes, patterns, and differences in responses to the interview questions. Two themes emerged from the participants' experiences in matriculating through college: 1) familial issues and challenges contribute to degree attainment; and 2) social issues and challenges that contribute to degree attainment. The results indicated that institutions should focus their efforts towards diversifying their faculty as well as developing mentoring programs that would be designed to focus upon African American male higher education development and retention. Future research could benefit from this study being replicated on multiple college campuses.