The status of blacks in U.S. higher education was studied as part of an investigation of four disadvantaged minority/ethnic groups. Attention was directed to: rates of educational access and attainment and factors influencing educational outcomes; trends in choice of college majors and careers; representation in various fields; personal and environmental factors affecting educational attainment; perspectives and employment experiences of black professionals; and institutional and program-related factors affecting the progress of blacks. Additionally, a brief historical sketch of blacks in the United States is included, emphasizing changes in their educational attainment and the influence of court litigation. Responses of the federal government and the higher education community to the civil rights movement and development in the 1970s are also covered Findings of a 9-year Cooperative Institutional Research Program study of 1971 freshmen are presented, along with results of surveys of minority group academic personnel and Ford Foundation Fellows. Recommendations are offered concerning: precollegiate education, community colleges, support services, equal access, financial aid, graduate and professional education, and minority faculty and administrators. (SW)