Best HBCU Colleges

HBCU which stands for “Historically Black Colleges and Universities” refers to institutions of higher learning that were formed or established with the goal of serving the African American community in the United States.

HBCUs are nationally certified that were established before 1964 with the intention of giving black Americans access to high-quality education, according to the Higher Education Act of 1965. It is crucial to remember that although these institutions prioritize the education of African Americans, individuals of any race, creed, or gender are lawfully permitted to attend them.

The original purpose of HBCUs was to assist Black students who had been denied access to higher education in the years after the Civil War. They were given this classification following the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

HBCUs still take great pleasure in their academic standing and dedication to their students.

How Much Does it Cost to Attend HBCU College?

Out of 100 Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU), 50 are private institutions and 50 are public. Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) had an average admission rate of 69.68% and average tuition and fees of $7,211 for in-state students and $15,102 for out-of-state students.

Following the enactment of the Higher Education Act of 1965, HBCUs started to receive direct federal funding to increase enrollment, financial stability, and academic rigor.

HBCU can also apply for Amazon Student Scholarship.

List of HBCUs

Here is a list organized into states.

ALABAMA

Alabama A&M University
Alabama State University
Bishop State Community College
Concordia College Selma
Gadsden State Community College
F. Drake Technical College
Lawson State Community College
Miles College
Oakwood University
Selma University
Shelton State Community College
Stillman College
Talladega College
Trenholm State Technical College
Tuskegee University

ARKANSAS

Arkansas Baptist College
Philander Smith College
Shorter College
University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff

DELAWARE

Delaware State University

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

Howard University
University of the District of Columbia

FLORIDA

Bethune-Cookman University
Edward Waters University
Florida A&M University
Florida A&M University College of Law
Florida Memorial University

GEORGIA

Albany State University
Clark Atlanta University
Fort Valley State University
Interdenominational Theological Center
Morehouse College
Morehouse School of Medicine
Morris Brown College
Paine College
Savannah State University
Spelman College

KENTUCKY

Kentucky State University
Simmons College

LOUISIANA

Dillard University
Grambling State University
Southern University and A&M College
Southern University at New Orleans
Southern University at Shreveport
Southern University Law Center
Xavier University of Louisiana

MARYLAND

Bowie State University
Coppin State University
Morgan State University
University of Maryland, Eastern Shore

MICHIGAN

Pensole Lewis College of Business

MISSISSIPPI

Alcorn State University
Jackson State University
Mississippi Valley State University
Rust College
Tougaloo College

MISSOURI

Harris-Stowe State University
Lincoln University of Missouri

NORTH CAROLINA

Barber-Scotia College
Bennett College
Elizabeth City State University
Fayetteville State University
Johnson C. Smith University
Livingstone College
North Carolina A&T State University
North Carolina Central University
St. Augustine’s University
Shaw University
Winston Salem State University

OHIO

Central State University
Wilberforce University

OKLAHOMA

Langston University

PENNSYLVANIA

Cheyney University of Pennsylvania
Lincoln University

SOUTH CAROLINA

Allen University
Benedict College
Claflin University
Denmark Technical College
Morris College
South Carolina State University
Voorhees College

TENNESSEE

American Baptist College
Fisk University
Knoxville College
Lane College
LeMoyne-Owen College
Meharry Medical College
Tennessee State University

HBCU Colleges in Texas

Huston-Tillotson University
Jarvis Christian College
Paul Quinn College
Prairie View A&M University
Saint Philip’s College
Southwestern Christian College
Texas College
Texas Southern University
TSU Thurgood Marshall School of Law
Wiley College

VIRGINIA

Hampton University
Norfolk State University
Virginia State University
Virginia Union University
Virginia University of Lynchburg

WEST VIRGINIA

Bluefield State College
West Virginia State University

U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS

University of the Virgin Islands

Spelman College
Howard University
Xavier University of Louisiana
Tuskegee University
Hampton University
Morehouse University
Florida A&M University
North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University
Claflin University
Fisk University

#1. Spelman College

Location: Atlanta, GA
Acceptance rate: 41%
Undergrad enrollment: 2,097

Spelman University was first established in 1881 as the Atlanta Baptist Seminary, earning it the distinction of being the oldest historically Black college for women in the US. More than 30 liberal arts and sciences majors, including environmental studies, art history, photography, and religious studies, are available on the campus. Alice Walker, Stacey Abrams, and Marian Wright Edelman are a few of its well-known alumni.

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#2. Howard University

Location: Washington, DC
Acceptance rate: 39%
Undergrad enrollment: 6,243

Among the many well-known graduates of Howard University are Kamala Harris, Thurgood Marshall, Toni Morrison, and Phylicia Rashad.

Since its inception in 1867, the university has been open to people of all racial and gender identities. Howard University offers degrees in a variety of arts, humanities, and sciences fields through more than 120 programs spread over 13 schools.

It is renowned for its STEM programs in particular; the university is rated as the top producer of African-American undergraduates who go on to obtain doctorates in science and engineering.

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#3. Xavier University of Louisiana

Location: New Orleans, LA
Acceptance rate: 60%
Undergrad enrollment: 2,530

Through its College of Arts and Sciences, Xavier University—the only historically Black and Catholic university in the country—offers liberal arts courses in subjects like business, psychology, bioinformatics, crime and social justice, and jazz studies.

Additionally, students may immediately qualify to acquire a bachelor’s degree in engineering from Xavier and a collaborating institution that offers engineering majors thanks to partnerships with universities like Tulane University, the University of Notre Dame, and others. Two graduate degrees in health are offered by the university’s College of Pharmacy.

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#4. Tuskegee University

Location: Tuskegee, AL
Acceptance rate: 57%
Undergrad enrollment: 2,394

Tuskegee University has a number of accomplishments, including being the first and only Black college to be designated as a Registered National Historic Landmark and a National Historic Site.

Among other things, it is the only HBCU with a College of Veterinary Medicine that awards doctorates and the nation’s top producer of African-Americans in aeronautical scientific engineering. The university, which is broken up into seven schools and colleges, provides degrees in fields like business, engineering, architecture, and more.

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#5. Hampton University

Location: Hampton, VA
Acceptance rate: 36%
Undergrad enrollment: 3,714

Booker T. Washington, Wanda Sykes, and Alberta Williams King are just a few of Hampton’s well-known former students. The institution provides numerous technical, liberal arts, and graduate degree tracks in disciplines like engineering, pharmacy, media, and more through programs spread throughout 10 schools and colleges. The Hampton University Museum, the nation’s first museum dedicated to African Americans, is one of its claims to fame.

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#6. Morehouse University

Location: Atlanta, GA
Acceptance rate: 51%
Undergrad enrollment: 2,238

Morehouse University, the only all-HBCU men’s in the US, offers several esteemed programs in disciplines like biology, commerce, curatorial studies, and computer science. Martin Luther King Jr., Spike Lee, and Donn Clendenon are just a few of the notable and significant figures who attended the college.

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#7. Florida A&M University

Location: Tallahassee, FL
Acceptance rate: 36%
Undergrad enrollment: 7,818

FAMU provides a wide range of degree options, including journalism, animal science, criminal justice, jazz studies, and cardiovascular sciences, among many others, and offers 54 bachelor’s degrees, 29 master’s degrees, and 12 doctoral programs.

FAMU has a few satellite campuses, one of which is home to the college of pharmacy, which offers the only MPH and DrPH degree programs that are nationally accredited, despite the fact that the main Tallahassee campus is well known for its beauty.

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#8. North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University

Location: Greensboro, NC
Acceptance rate: 58%
Undergrad enrollment: 11,039

The biggest HBCU in the nation is N.C. A&T. The university provides degrees in a variety of fields, including agriculture, music, nursing, and speech, but is best recognized for its engineering department. One of the top universities for increasing social mobility is N.C. A&T. Jesse Jackson, Ronald McNair, and Janice Bryant Howroyd are graduates.

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#9. Claflin University

Location: Orangeburg, SC
Acceptance rate: 55%
Undergrad enrollment: 1,986

Claflin University’s goal is to graduate students who will become “visionary leaders,” making it the first institution of higher learning in South Carolina to admit students of any race.

Claflin University offers majors in fields like English Education, Drama Studies, Creative Writing, Biotechnology, Digital Design, and Sports Management across its four schools, which are the School of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, the School of Humanities and Social Sciences, the School of Business, and the School of Education.

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#10. Fisk University

Location: Nashville, TN
Acceptance rate: 93%
Undergrad enrollment: 840

Fisk wants to generate graduates who achieve in their vocations and are dedicated to giving back to their communities. The schools of graduate studies, mathematics & business, natural sciences, and humanities & behavioral sciences make up the liberal arts-based university. The Fisk-Vanderbilt bridge program, which enables underrepresented groups to acquire a PhD in a number of STEM subjects at Vanderbilt University, is one such option.

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HBCU Colleges in Atlanta

Clark Atlanta University
Interdenominational Theological Center
Morehouse College
Morehouse School of Medicine
Morris Brown College
Spelman College

HBCU Colleges in North Carolina

Barber-Scotia College
Bennett College
Elizabeth City State University
Fayetteville State University
Johnson C. Smith University
Livingstone College
North Carolina A&T State University
North Carolina Central University
St. Augustine’s University
Shaw University
Winston Salem State University

Conclusion

There are 107 accredited Historically Black Colleges and Universitiesniversities as of right now. HBCUs give a distinctive experience of the higher education opportunity, even though every college or university has advantages and disadvantages depending on the educational quality, history, and tradition of the institution.

An undergraduate degree from an HBCU conveys to admissions committees the variety of experiences that students will bring to a graduate program for those looking to continue on into one.

This frequently works to the benefit of prospective graduate students because schools prefer to maintain a varied student body in order to foster meaningful discussion and learning. People might feel that students are possibly switching from more normally diversified college campuses to a more homogeneous HBCU, despite the fact that this might occasionally be a good thing.

FAQs on Best HBCU Colleges

Are Historically Black Colleges and Universities worth it?

Students that attend HBCUs benefit from a distinctive and varied educational environment. It’s a wonderful chance to learn about the contributions that African culture has made to the world. It’s interesting to note that HBCUs don’t simply accept African students; they also teach students how to remain on point constantly.

How many HBCU are there?

There are currently 107 HBCUs with more than 228,000 students enrolled. 51 of the 56 schools are public colleges and universities. 51 public colleges and universities make up the 56 institutions that are privately run.

Are HBCU colleges accredited?

According to the Higher Education Act of 1965, HBCUs have accredited institutions of higher learning that were founded before 1964 and whose “primary objective was, and is, the education of Black Americans.”

References

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How Much Does it Cost to Attend HBCU College?

List of HBCUs