There are many terms that are used to denote the Black/African American population, including (but not limited to):  Black, Black American, African, African American, of Black descent, and of African descent. In this report, we use “Black/African American” in recognition of the shared African ancestry of this group and to be inclusive of individuals who may identify as Black but not as African American (e.g., Afro Latino).  We acknowledge that notions of race, ethnic, and national identity carry political, social, and familial meanings that can be controversial. Most importantly, we recognize the limitations and imperfections of any label applied to such a diverse group.

Data on race/ethnicity largely come from student responses in the CSU system application (Cal State Apply).  To meet federal reporting requirements (i.e., to the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System, or IPEDS), the CSU application includes the required two-question series to gather race/ethnicity data:  1) “With regard to your ethnicity, do you consider yourself Hispanic or Latino?” (yes/no), followed by 2) “Regardless of your answer to the question above, please select below one or more of the following groups in which you consider yourself a member”, with response options:  American Indian or Alaska Native, Asian, Black or African American, Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander, White, Decline to State, or None of the Above. Per federal guidelines, if a student answers “Yes” to