The Difference

Graduating high school students often search for the college/University that best fits them and makes them feel most comfortable.

When it comes to choosing colleges there are several factors that come into play. These factors include:

•Size
•Location
•Scenery
•Education
•Price
•Culture

"Culture" may, arguably, be the most important factor when it comes to choosing the college that makes you feel the most comfortable. This factor breaks down into two separate subsets of colleges: PWI (Predominantly White Institutions) and HBCU (Historically Black Colleges/Universities).

PWI's are, in general, larger educational institutions whom typically claim to be "diverse". Though they are majority Caucasian, they do provide Minority students with safe spaces (though very little), where they can hang out with people who look like them and gain a sense of comfortability. Campus life as a minority is what you make of it, as is at any college. Though it is predominantly White, a lot of these higher educational learning environment do have a wide range of clubs and organizations that band minority groups together, such as BMU (Black Men United), BSU (Black Student Union), LASO (LatinX American Student Organization), and many, if not all, National Pan Hellenic Council organizations (known as the "Divine Nine") as well as Multicultural Greek Council organizations.

HBCU's have a very rich historical background to them and engrain a sense of Pride in the students that attend the school. This sense of pride is one that cannot be found anywhere but an HBCU. These predominantly African-American Institutions provide a space throughout the country where a Black men and women are no longer the minority, they are the majority. Students here are provided with and know the history of their College or University, while most PWI students couldn't tell you the date their institution was built, let alone accredited. These higher educational environments have some of the same clubs and organizations that are provided at PWI's including Academic & Service oriented clubs and the Divine Nine, in which most were founded.

PWI's and HBCU's have a lot of similarities but also differ in things like Culture, Student Population, Campus Size and Funding. It's upsetting to know that HBCU's just don't receive as much funding from State governments as PWI's do. All too often, must Institutions depend on donations in order to remain accredited as a College or University due to a lack of funding from the state.

-DClif