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The publication details overarching policy recommendations, concluding with guidance on partnership, investment, and workforce impact.",{"@graph":14,"@context":73},[15,34,56],{"@type":16,"itemListElement":17},"BreadcrumbList",[18,23,27,31],{"item":19,"name":20,"@type":21,"position":22},"https://docshare.wps.com","Home","ListItem",1,{"item":24,"name":25,"@type":21,"position":26},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/","Document",2,{"item":28,"name":29,"@type":21,"position":30},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/research-report/","Research & Report",3,{"item":32,"name":10,"@type":21,"position":33},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/still-punching-above-their-weight-a-focus-on-hbcus-indisputable-influence-on-the-stem-sector/585350/",4,{"url":32,"name":10,"@type":35,"image":36,"author":41,"headline":10,"publisher":44,"fileFormat":47,"inLanguage":8,"description":12,"dateModified":48,"datePublished":49,"encodingFormat":47,"isAccessibleForFree":50,"interactionStatistic":51},"DigitalDocument",{"url":37,"@type":38,"width":39,"height":40},"https://docshare.wps.com/thumbnails/still-punching-above-their-weight-a-focus-on-hbcus-indisputable-influence-on-the-stem-sector/585350.png","ImageObject",300,407,{"name":42,"@type":43},"Aria Callaghan","Person",{"url":19,"name":45,"@type":46},"DocShare","Organization","application/pdf","2026-10-31","2026-10-15",true,{"@type":52,"interactionType":53,"userInteractionCount":55},"InteractionCounter",{"@type":54},"ViewAction",8,{"@type":57,"mainEntity":58},"FAQPage",[59,65,69],{"name":60,"@type":61,"acceptedAnswer":62},"What does “punching above their weight” mean in this report?","Question",{"text":63,"@type":64},"It is used as an analogy for athletes who outperform expectations, and here it describes how HBCUs exceed what their size and resources would suggest in STEM outcomes.","Answer",{"name":66,"@type":61,"acceptedAnswer":67},"What performance advantages does the report attribute to HBCUs?",{"text":68,"@type":64},"It emphasizes superior performance in retaining and graduating low-income, academically underprepared African American students compared with non-HBCU counterparts.",{"name":70,"@type":61,"acceptedAnswer":71},"How does the report explain the broader impact of HBCUs in STEM?",{"text":72,"@type":64},"It argues that HBCUs act as multipliers—building talent and fueling research, entrepreneurship, and workforce advancement that supports communities and industries.","https://schema.org",{"og:url":32,"og:type":75,"og:title":10,"og:site_name":45,"og:description":12},"article",{"robots":77,"canonical":32},"index,follow",{"doc_id":79,"site_id":7},585350,1792165511,{"code":4,"msg":82,"data":83},"success",[84,88,92,96,101,106,111,114,119,122,126],{"id":22,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":85,"show_sort_weight":86,"slug":87},"Story & Novel",90,"story-novel",{"id":26,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":89,"show_sort_weight":90,"slug":91},"Literature",80,"literature",{"id":33,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":93,"show_sort_weight":94,"slug":95},"Exam",70,"exam",{"id":97,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":98,"show_sort_weight":99,"slug":100},5,"Comic",60,"comic",{"id":102,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":103,"show_sort_weight":104,"slug":105},6,"Technology",50,"technology",{"id":107,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":108,"show_sort_weight":109,"slug":110},7,"Healthcare",40,"healthcare",{"id":55,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":29,"show_sort_weight":112,"slug":113},30,"research-report",{"id":115,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":116,"show_sort_weight":117,"slug":118},9,"Religion & Spirituality",20,"religion-spirituality",{"id":117,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":120,"show_sort_weight":117,"slug":121},"World Cup","world-cup",{"id":123,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":124,"show_sort_weight":123,"slug":125},10,"Lifestyle","lifestyle",{"id":127,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":128,"show_sort_weight":97,"slug":129},19,"General","general",{"code":4,"msg":82,"data":131},{"doc_id":79,"user_id":132,"nickname":42,"user_avatar":133,"doc_module":4,"category_id":55,"category_name":29,"doc_title":10,"doc_description":12,"doc_content":134,"file_id":135,"file_url":136,"file_type":137,"file_size":138,"view_count":55,"is_deleted":4,"is_public":22,"is_downloadable":22,"audit_status":22,"page_count":109,"language":139,"language_code":8,"site_id":7,"html_lang":8,"table_of_contents":140,"faqs":141,"seo_title":142,"seo_description":12,"update_tm":143,"read_time":144,"preview_page_count":4},962084926284,"https://ap-avatar.wpscdn.com/davatar_29158cc5080c5b710cf443261637dec0","STILL PUNCHING  \nABOVE THEIR WEIGHT:  \nA Focus on HBCUs’ Indisputable Influence on the STEM Sector  \n\\#HBCUStrong  \nUNCF Frederick D. Patterson Research Institute  \nWhen sports writers suggest that boxers “punch above their weight,”they are indicating that these athletes perform exceptionally well relative to their size, demonstrating skill and prowess beyond what might be anticipated based solely on their physical stature.  \nCitation:  \nMarshall, D. , Harris, D. , Copridge, K. , Neal, D. , & Murray, L. (2025) . Still punching above their weight: A focus on HBCUs’ indisputable influence on the STEM sector. Frederick D. Patterson Research Institute, UNCF.  \n1805 7th Street, NW  \nWashington, DC 20001  \nT 202 810 0200  \nF 202 810 0225  \n[UNCF.org](UNCF.org)  \n 2  STILL PUNCHING ABOVE THEIR WEIGHT: A FOCUS ON HBCUS’ INDISPUTABLE INFLUENCE ON THE STEM SECTOR  \nTABLE OF CONTENTS  \n04   Foreword  \n05   Introduction  \n16   Alabama  \n17   Arkansas  \n18   Delaware  \n19   District of Columbia  \n20   Florida  \n21   Georgia  \n22   Kentucky  \n23   Louisiana  \n24   Maryland  \n25   Mississippi  \n26   Missouri  \n27   North Carolina 28   Ohio 29   Oklahoma 30   Pennsylvania 31   South Carolina 32   Tennessee 33   Texas 34   Virginia  \n35   Virgin Islands 36   West Virginia 37   Conclusion  \n38   Policy Recommendations 39   Afterword  \nACKNOWLEDGEMENTS  \nMany individuals have contributed to the production of this report. The authors would like to thank Lodriguez Murray, UNCF senior vice president of public policy and government affairs, for providing valuable feedback. We would also like to thank the UNCF communications team who provided editing and design services: Adam Kemp, UNCF director of content, and Jerry Lustan, Surface2 Communications and Design. UNCF is deeply grateful for the collaborative support, which made this publication possible.  \n\\#HBCUSTRONG  3   \nFOREWORD  \n “Punching above their weight” is an analogy sports  commentators use to describe an athlete who outperforms  \nexpectations and delivers results far beyond what their size or resources may indicate. The DNA of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) embodies this spirit of exceptional performance. The findings in this report advance our collective understanding that systemic challenges and a lack of resources have not deterred HBCUs from consistently delivering exceptional outcomes that exceed expectations. The science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields prove to be thriving academic areas, where these institutions produce a disproportionate number of Black innovators. The impact of HBCUs’ significance in this area is not only measurable and transformative, but it is also vital to our nation’s workforce, economy, and future success.  \nUNCF’s Frederick D. Patterson Research Institute indicates that HBCUs demonstrate superior performance in retaining and graduating low-income, academically underprepared African American students compared to their non-HBCU counterparts.1 HBCUs represent only a small fraction of America’s colleges and universities, yet their impact is extraordinary. Year after year, these institutions nurture students who go on to lead, innovate, and transform their communities and the world. This is the enduring power of HBCUs: they turn potential into progress.  \nAcademic excellence and commitment to access drive this forward movement. Our mission at UNCF is to partner with HBCUs to ensure an affordable and supportive pathway toa college degree for all students. This support opens doors for students who might otherwise not have the opportunities available to continue their academic journey. For decades, our commitment has changed countless lives, strengthened families, and reshaped entire economies and communities.  \nAffordability is more than a financial benefit; it is a promise that with generous investment, students from every background can pursue rigorous STEM fields, research, and emerging technologies without being li","cbCaimRSzgvCt49A","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCaimRSzgvCt49A","pdf",7603774,"English","# Table of Contents\n## Foreword\n## Introduction\n## Alabama\n## Arkansas\n## Delaware\n## District of Columbia\n## Florida\n## Georgia\n## Kentucky\n## Louisiana\n## Maryland\n## Mississippi\n## Missouri\n## North Carolina\n## Ohio\n## Oklahoma\n## Pennsylvania\n## South Carolina\n## Tennessee\n## Texas\n## Virginia\n## Virgin Islands\n## West Virginia\n## Conclusion\n## Policy Recommendations\n## Afterword\n# Acknowledgements","[{\"question\":\"What does “punching above their weight” mean in this report?\",\"answer\":\"It is used as an analogy for athletes who outperform expectations, and here it describes how HBCUs exceed what their size and resources would suggest in STEM outcomes.\"},{\"question\":\"What performance advantages does the report attribute to HBCUs?\",\"answer\":\"It emphasizes superior performance in retaining and graduating low-income, academically underprepared African American students compared with non-HBCU counterparts.\"},{\"question\":\"How does the report explain the broader impact of HBCUs in STEM?\",\"answer\":\"It argues that HBCUs act as multipliers—building talent and fueling research, entrepreneurship, and workforce advancement that supports communities and industries.\"}]","Still Punching Above Their Weight - A Focus on HBCUs’ Indisputable Influence on the STEM Sector | PDF",1792054488,101]