The movie follows three people as they begin their freshman year of college.

Malik (Omar Epps) is a young black athlete who struggles with academic and financial problems. He must keep his grades up in order to stay on the track team, and is parti... (read more) The movie follows three people as they begin their freshman year of college.

Malik (Omar Epps) is a young black athlete who struggles with academic and financial problems. He must keep his grades up in order to stay on the track team, and is particularly having trouble in a political science course, taught by a "must-be-cruel-to-be-kind" professor named Maurice Phipps (Laurence Fishburne). He befriends a wisecracking black nationalist named Fudge (Ice Cube) and an attractive female track runner named Deja (Tyra Banks), whom he eventually begins dating.

Kristen (Kristy Swanson) is a young white female from Southern California. She attends the same political science course as Malik (though they do not speak to each other), and has her share of financial problems, as well. After attending a party, she retreats to a frat house with a male student and is subsequently raped. Her friends Monet (Regina King) and Taryn (Jennifer Connelly) attempt to console her, and Taryn encourages Kristen to report the incident. The girls bond during student group meetings, and Kristen begins to realize her attraction to Taryn, which grows stronger even after she begins dating Wayne, Malik's kindly roommate.

Remy (Michael Rapaport) is a lonely, impressionable young man who wants friendship. After reporting a loud party in the dorm (which is broken up by the racist security guards), he is belittled and threatened by Fudge and another black student named Threads (Busta Rhymes), forcing him to move out. He finds friendship with a white supremacist group, led by Scott (Cole Hauser). Scott shares his neo-Nazi beliefs with Remy, and later we see that Remy has shaved his head and started wearing an Iron Cross. He also carries a gun, which he uses to threaten his Jewish roommate David (Adam Goldberg) and Malik. He drops out of school (for which Scott chastises him, arguing that the white community needs more successful members and that he is betraying his race), and after they are defeated by the black students in a gang fight, the neo-Nazis plan an attack during an on-campus Peace Fest (organized by Taryn and Kristen). Scott hands Remy a rifle and challenges him to action. Remy, having never killed anyone before, understandably has trouble carrying out his actions, but he finally opens fire, starting a riot and shooting two students, including Deja. An angered Malik meets Remy at the stairwell and begins choking him in an attempt to kill him. The security guards intervene, and Remy, suddenly realizing what he has done, tearfully apologizes to Malik and the security guards before turning the gun on himself.

The movie ends with Remy, Deja and an unnamed student dead. The neo-Nazis mourn Remy and celebrate his actions. A heartbroken Malik has garnered praise from Professor Phipps for doing well in school despite the recent tragedies, but Malik nonetheless decides to take a semester off. Phipps says he has confidence that Malik is making the right decision. Malik and Kristen speak for the first time; Kristen tells Malik she feels the deaths of the students were her fault because she helped organize the Peace Fest, and Malik tells her she shouldn't blame herself.

Has its flaws, but still good overall. People make the mistake of thinking it's a "white=evil, black=good" type of movie, but it's not. I would have liked to see the conclusion of the love triangle story between Taryn, Kristen and Wayne, however Taryn and Wayne are never mentioned after the climactic riot scene, thus leaving a hole in the plot.

Singleton's masterpiece.

'Higher Learning' is ambitous and usually arresting, but in an attempt to send a "message," Singleton relies on stereotypes and After-School-Special conflicts. The cast (especially Fishburne and Connelly) and the thought-provoking nature of the film... (read more) 'Higher Learning' is ambitous and usually arresting, but in an attempt to send a "message," Singleton relies on stereotypes and After-School-Special conflicts. The cast (especially Fishburne and Connelly) and the thought-provoking nature of the film still make it worth watching.

A kick-ass soundtrack (Tori Amos' Losing My Religion makes me weep) but otherwise this is a pretty broad and obvious look at every problem that could ever possibly happen on a university campus. Good cast though.

This film deals with a lot of powerful issues, and although it does not purport to solve any of them it does bring them to the forefront. I think it opened the door for later films like "American History X" and "Crash".

Higher Learning is often clichéd, unfocused and didactic. But Singleton has a goal most of his contemporaries have given up on: He wants to make a movie that makes a difference.

Thought-provoking.

Higher Learning presents a profoundly uninspired and misguided piece that seems prompted by little more than a desire to make a Big Statement.