This research brief examines data related to the educational experiences of African Americans, profiling their demographic characteristics, their educational experiences in high school and college, and their employment status in higher education. African Americans make up about 12.5 percent of the total U.S. population. Overall, the number of African Americans enrolled in college has increased, rising by 27 percent since 1982. African Americans received more undergraduate and first-professional degrees in 1991 than in 1981, but the number of graduate degrees they received decreased in this period. African Americans represented 12.3 percent of all full-time employees in 1991, but the majority were nonfaculty and nonmanagement positions. Only 5 percent of all college presidents were African American in 1990, and more than half of these headed historically black colleges and universities. While African Americans have improved their performance on the Scholastic Aptitude Test since 1976, their achievement levels are still below the national average. Increased participation by African Americans in college preparatory and advanced placement programs could raise the educational attainment levels of African Americans and narrow the achievement gap. Six figures illustrate the discussion. Contains 26 references, 7 endnotes, and a list of 4 resources. (SLD)