Despite comprising the largest minority in rural settings, the literature to date largely subsumes African American rural students into a broader set of Black and African American students, with a primarily urban focus. This volume focuses on the higher education pathways of rural African American students and highlights their experiences in US colleges and universities.

Addressing the fact that rural students have higher high school graduation rates than their urban peers but are less likely to take paths towards higher education, the authors identify research needs, areas of concerns, and strategies to encourage and sustain greater postsecondary participation among African Americans from rural settings. Contributors to the volume address the meaning of race and place, cultural capital, gender dynamics, gifted education, college choice, teacher and education leader preparation, campus programming and the role of Historically Black Colleges and Universities, with specific reference to African American rural students, to pin down a clear picture of the barriers and drivers of their higher education journeys.