Apparently, attending a historically Black college or university (HBCU) does more than shape a career and build a network; it’s also good for your health.  

Researchers analyzed data from nearly 2,000 Black adults who went to college between 1940 and 1980 and compared those who attended HBCUs with peers who enrolled at predominantly white institutions (PWIs).

The findings were striking: about 35% of participants had attended an HBCU, and when they were tested around age 62, this group scored higher on measures of memory, language, and overall cognitive skills.

​“It didn’t matter what form of racism I was looking at, whether it was everyday racism or country-level anti-Black bias – the beginning of my work showed that exposure to racism was associated with worse health,” said Dr. Marilyn Thomas, an assistant professor of medicine at the University of California, San Francisco, to The Guardian.

​The study was published last month in JAMA Network Open and was co-authored by Rutgers University, the University of Alabama at Birmingham, Columbia University, Boston University, and Harvard University. According to The Guardian, it’s one of the first national studies that looks at how the type of college influences brain health decades later.

​Scientists say the advantage does not come from a single factor like smaller class sizes or specific majors. Instead, they point to the wider ecosystem that HBCUs provide: campuses where Black students can see themselves reflected in faculty and leadership, study Black history in depth, and form networks of peers.

​These environments, the study suggests, may help reduce the wear and tear that discrimination can have on the brain over time, also known as “weathering.” Separate studies have shown that enduring racial discrimination contributes to the premature biological aging process, which can lead to chronic illness and dementia.

​The research will not settle long-running debates over whether HBCUs or predominantly white institutions offer the “better” path. But for many students weighing financial aid packages and campus vibes, it adds a new angle to the choice: what kind of college experience might not just change their 20s, but also shape how sharp they feel in their 60s and beyond.

​“There’s an attack right now on DEI programs, promoting diversity, bringing people in from different backgrounds and different ideologies – all that is under scrutiny right now,” Thomas said. “But what this [study] does is it shows us actually when you do create environments where socially marginalized people feel more welcome or feel more affirmed, they live healthier lives.”