The students who attend an HBCU typically are surrounded by students who were admitted under the same academic standards, which can make all the difference in how they perform. Many of the black students admitted to more prestigious schools have SAT scores that are above the national average but significantly below those of their white and Asian classmates, and so they struggle to keep pace. This mismatching of students and institutions is much less likely to occur at an HBCU, which can result in someone receiving a better education at a less-selective school.