While graduation rates have long withstood criticism for being considered a prime indicator of institutional success in higher education, a group of predominantly Black colleges and universities are now calling for a new index that will factor in the unique barriers their students overcome to graduate.

Representing the public historically Black colleges and university (HBCU) sector, the New York-based Thurgood Marshall College Fund (TMCF) Monday released Making the Grade: Improving Degree Attainment at Historically Black Colleges and Universities, a white paper arguing for a new index that places emphasis on factors such as students’ socioeconomic status and academic preparedness. Public HBCUs, in particular, are facing renewed concern about their relevance as policymakers and the public have increased scrutiny of public college outcomes.

The degree completion rate for full-time freshmen over a six-year period is one of the most widely used measures of institutional performance. Serving students who are disproportionately poorer and more likely to be first-generation college-going, public HBCUs typically have low completion rates in comparison with predominantly White, public flagship universities.

TMCF President Dwayne Ashley said TMCF and its member institutions are urging national and state data collection agencies such as the National Center for Education Statistics to incorporate a methodology that demonstrates how schools, as stated in the report, “raise their students from a position of academic weakness to strength.”