First-of-its-kind public accountability tool for the nation’s first state-level BSI designation unveiled at the 6th Annual CABSE Institute

Royel M. Johnson, PhD, associate professor at the USC Rossier School of Education and lead of the Black-Serving Institution (BSI) Designation Research Project at the USC Pullias Center for Higher Education, today announced the launch of the California BSI Data Dashboard at the 6th Annual California Association of Black School Educators (CABSE) Institute. The interactive dashboard — available at CABSI.org — is the first public tool designed to track Black student enrollment, completion, and graduation outcomes across all 31 of California’s designated Black-Serving Institutions.

Established by Senate Bill 1348 (Bradford, 2024) and conceptualized in partnership with Compton College President/CEO Dr. Keith Curry and Sacramento State President J. Luke Wood, the BSI designation is the first of its kind in the nation — a state-level recognition of colleges and universities committed to substantive support for Black student access, belonging, and success. The inaugural cohort of 31 campuses, announced in December 2025, includes 25 California Community Colleges; CSU Dominguez Hills, Northridge, and Sacramento; UC Berkeley and UC Davis; and Loyola Marymount University, the first private designee.

Drawing on a decade of federal IPEDS data (2015–2024), the dashboard establishes the pre-designation baseline against which the policy’s impact will be measured. Key findings include:

• Nearly 44,000 Black students are enrolled across the 31 designated BSIs — approximately 28% of all Black college students in California
• The share of Black students enrolled at these campuses declined from 8.9% in 2015 to 7.8% in 2023, underscoring the urgency of the designation.
• At BSI community colleges, Black students complete within eight years at just 21%, compared to 41% of all students — a 20-point gap.
• Persistent equity gaps remain at BSI universities: Black students graduate within six years at 59%, compared with 71% of all students — a 12-point gap that holds across all six designated institutions.

Because the designation is valid for five years and renewable by application, the dashboard is designed to serve as a transparent accountability mechanism — enabling policymakers, campus leaders, and communities to monitor whether designated institutions deliver measurable progress for Black students. It also offers a replicable framework for other campuses seeking to identify — and close — equity gaps for Black students.

“The BSI designation and the commitment these 31 schools have made to strengthen Black student success have the potential to be transformative,” said Johnson. “This dashboard is one tool for monitoring that progress. Recognition without accountability is merely symbolism. By making these data public, we are empowering campuses, policymakers, and communities to see, year after year, whether the designation translates into meaningful gains in Black student access and success.”

Looking ahead, Johnson recommends that the governing board develop a research-informed rubric for selecting future BSI cohorts. Drawing on insights from this inaugural class, a shared rubric would be a critical next step — ensuring the designation process is rigorous, transparent, and grounded in evidence about what actually moves outcomes for Black students, so that the designation grows stronger with each cycle.

“The Black Serving Institutions designation, as it stands, is a title that institutions can earn to demonstrate their commitment to improving outcomes for Black students,” Curry said. “But we know that without data, there can be no accountability. This dashboard fills that need and allows BSIs, including Compton College, to determine where we stand today and how far we still have to go. Ultimately, BSIs must strive for nothing less than parity in outcomes for Black students, and that starts at the institutional level.”

"I am incredibly proud of the progress we have made through SB 1348 to recognize institutions committed to Black student success. But there is still work to do — legislation is only as strong as its implementation. This dashboard is key to ensuring that the important work BSIs are engaged in continues beyond simply earning the designation. It’s exactly the kind of accountability I envisioned when I authored the bill,” said former State Senator Steven Bradford, author of SB 1348.

"The California Association of Black School Educators was built on the belief that Black educational excellence must be nurtured from preschool through college and career,” said Micah Ali, founder and chairman of CABSE. "Leaders, this is not affirmative action. This is AFFIRMING the importance of being intentional about enabling Black student success. We are proud that this dashboard has been unveiled here at our 6th Annual CABSE Institute, where our members are fully invested in supporting institutions committed to improving outcomes for Black students.”

The BSI designation fills a critical gap: no California institution qualifies as a Historically Black College or University, and none meets the 40% Black enrollment threshold for the federal Predominantly Black Institution designation. The state-level BSI designation — and the growing movement behind it — represents a new national model for recognizing and resourcing institutions that serve Black students.

The California BSI Data Dashboard is publicly available at CABSI.org.

About the BSI Designation Research Project

Led by Dr. Royel M. Johnson at the University of Southern California, the BSI Designation Research Project studies the implementation and impact of California’s Black-Serving Institution designation through statewide data analysis and campus case studies.

About the Pullias Center for Higher Education

One of the nation’s leading research centers on higher education, the Pullias Center for Higher Education at the USC Rossier School of Education advances innovative, scalable solutions to improve college access and outcomes for all  students and to enhance the performance of postsecondary institutions.