What Is A Historically Black College (HBCU)?
Historically Black Colleges and Universities’s (HBCU) are colleges and universities created or founded with the intention of serving the African American community in the United States. According to the Higher Education Act of 1965, these are institutions which are nationally accredited and were formed before 1964 for the purpose of providing quality education to black Americans. While these institutions have a focus on the education of black Americans it is important to note that they are legally open to people of any race, religion or gender.
The First HBCU
The earliest historically black colleges and universities were formed pre-civil war, the first being Cheyney University of Pennsylvania. Started in 1837 and still running to this day, the Cheyney University was established to educate people of African descent and prepare them primarily to become teachers.
The founders of Cheyney University were abolitionists concerned with the ability of African Americans to make a reasonable living in a discriminatory society. Upon hearing news of race riots against freed black Americans, Richard Humphreys left money in his will for the formation of the university with instructions to create an institute of higher learning for the betterment of black Americans across a host of skills and topics.
The Rise of Historically Black Colleges and Universities
After Cheyney, other schools slowly began popping up, many of which were formed and funded by religious groups seeking to help elevate the general education and well-being of African Americans. While a few institutions joined Cheyney in being formed before the civil war, the majority were not formed until after the war’s end. In 1890 Congress passed the second Morrill Act, requiring states to offer land grants for black schools if there were not already being offered. As this became enacted more HBCU’s came into existence across the country, including many which are now well-known and widely respected.
HBCU’s Today
Today there are 107 recognized historically black colleges and universities. While there are benefits and drawbacks to any college or university, depending on its educational quality, history, and tradition, HBCU’s offer a unique experience of the higher education opportunity.
For those seeking to continue on into a graduate program, an HBCU undergraduate degree communicates to admissions boards the diversity of experience that students will bring with them into a graduate program. This often plays to a potential graduate student’s advantage as schools like to keep their student bodies diverse for the sake of enriched discourse and learning. While this can be a positive thing in some cases, people may feel as if students might be exchanging more typically diverse college campuses for a more homogeneous HBCU.
Given the variety of quality among HBCU schools (as with any other college or university) there are rarely concrete positive and negatives that are attributed solely to HBCU. This being the case, the benefits and downsides of an HBCU tend to be on a more personal level of expectation based on desired cultural experiences as well as possible relationships between school and work-related goals within the black community.
Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) List
| Institution | State | Type | Total Enrollment | Black Enrollment | Black Enrollment % | Associates Awarded | Bachelor’s Awarded | Master’s Awarded | Doctoral Awarded |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Carolina A&T State University | NC | 4-year public | 10,725 | 8,893 | 83% | NA | 1,394 | 470 | 43 |
| Saint Philip's College | TX | 2-year public | 10,514 | 1,119 | 11% | 511 | NA | NA | NA |
| Howard University | DC | 4-year private nonprofit | 10,265 | 8,812 | 86% | NA | 1,033 | 339 | 501 |
| Florida A&M University | FL | 4-year public | 10,241 | 8,956 | 87% | 113 | 1,560 | 277 | 335 |
| Jackson State University | MS | 4-year public | 9,508 | 8,491 | 89% | NA | 1,093 | 424 | 71 |
| Texas Southern University | TX | 4-year public | 9,233 | 7,258 | 79% | NA | 867 | 388 | 329 |
| Tennessee State University | TN | 4-year public | 9,027 | 5,798 | 64% | 104 | 807 | 476 | 85 |
| Prairie View A&M University | TX | 4-year public | 8,429 | 7,236 | 86% | NA | 993 | 447 | 22 |
| Morgan State University | MD | 4-year public | 7,698 | 6,320 | 82% | NA | 922 | 227 | 52 |
| North Carolina Central University | NC | 4-year public | 7,687 | 6,073 | 79% | NA | 1,054 | 427 | 141 |
| Southern University and A&M College | LA | 4-year public | 6,330 | 5,895 | 93% | NA | 757 | 272 | 13 |
| Norfolk State University | VA | 4-year public | 6,027 | 5,163 | 86% | 95 | 857 | 184 | 9 |
| Fayetteville State University | NC | 4-year public | 5,899 | 3,992 | 68% | NA | 965 | 193 | 7 |
| Bowie State University | MD | 4-year public | 5,695 | 4,844 | 85% | NA | 741 | 278 | 7 |
| Alabama State University | AL | 4-year public | 5,519 | 5,024 | 91% | NA | 529 | 141 | 55 |
| Alabama A&M University | AL | 4-year public | 5,333 | 4,913 | 92% | NA | 472 | 223 | 7 |
| Gadsden State Community College | AL | 2-year public | 5,289 | 1,070 | 20% | 571 | NA | NA | NA |
| Winston-Salem State University | NC | 4-year public | 5,220 | 3,741 | 72% | NA | 1,371 | 134 | 25 |
| Virginia State University | VA | 4-year public | 5,025 | 4,699 | 94% | 3 | 793 | 151 | 8 |
| Shelton State Community College | AL | 2-year public | 4,978 | 1,807 | 36% | 365 | NA | NA | NA |
| Savannah State University | GA | 4-year public | 4,915 | 4,336 | 88% | 5 | 442 | 74 | NA |
| University of the District of Columbia | DC | 4-year public | 4,803 | 3,514 | 73% | 263 | 410 | 86 | NA |
| Grambling State University | LA | 4-year public | 4,504 | 4,120 | 91% | 13 | 697 | 251 | 4 |
| Delaware State University | DE | 4-year public | 4,397 | 2,974 | 68% | NA | 550 | 130 | 6 |
| Hampton University | VA | 4-year private nonprofit | 4,393 | 3,921 | 89% | 0 | 710 | 139 | 99 |
| University of Maryland, Eastern Shore | MD | 4-year public | 4,279 | 2,891 | 68% | NA | 585 | 68 | 101 |
| Bethune-Cookman University | FL | 4-year private nonprofit | 4,044 | 3,662 | 91% | NA | 480 | 29 | NA |
| Albany State University | GA | 4-year public | 3,910 | 3,543 | 91% | NA | 492 | 108 | NA |
| Alcorn State University | MS | 4-year public | 3,639 | 3,386 | 93% | 54 | 404 | 128 | NA |
| Clark Atlanta University | GA | 4-year private nonprofit | 3,485 | 3,306 | 95% | NA | 459 | 183 | 42 |
| South Carolina State University | SC | 4-year public | 3,331 | 3,154 | 95% | NA | 567 | 112 | 19 |
| Bishop State Community College | AL | 2-year public | 3,320 | 2,123 | 64% | 286 | NA | NA | NA |
| Coppin State University | MD | 4-year public | 3,133 | 2,626 | 84% | NA | 477 | 83 | 0 |
| Lincoln University | MO | 4-year public | 3,117 | 1,298 | 42% | 80 | 328 | 52 | NA |
| Tuskegee University | AL | 4-year private nonprofit | 3,103 | 2,953 | 95% | NA | 327 | 50 | 49 |
| Lawson State Community College, Birmingham Campus | AL | 2-year public | 3,090 | 2,489 | 81% | 226 | NA | NA | NA |
| Xavier University of Louisiana | LA | 4-year private nonprofit | 2,976 | 2,116 | 71% | NA | 322 | 58 | 159 |
| Southern University at Shreveport | LA | 2-year public | 2,952 | 2,617 | 89% | 273 | NA | NA | NA |
| West Virginia State University | WV | 4-year public | 2,884 | 461 | 16% | NA | 418 | 17 | NA |
| Fort Valley State University | GA | 4-year public | 2,594 | 2,375 | 92% | NA | 431 | 86 | NA |
| University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff | AR | 4-year public | 2,513 | 2,301 | 92% | 0 | 429 | 26 | 0 |
| Langston University | OK | 4-year public | 2,482 | 2,049 | 83% | 12 | 294 | 110 | 22 |
| Benedict College | SC | 4-year private nonprofit | 2,444 | 2,420 | 99% | NA | 309 | NA | NA |
| University of the Virgin Islands | VI | 4-year public | 2,280 | 1,770 | 78% | 58 | 214 | 50 | NA |
| Mississippi Valley State University | MS | 4-year public | 2,222 | 2,111 | 95% | NA | 386 | 70 | NA |
| Spelman College | GA | 4-year private nonprofit | 2,135 | 2,026 | 95% | NA | 464 | NA | NA |
| Morehouse College | GA | 4-year private nonprofit | 2,109 | 2,022 | 96% | NA | 339 | NA | NA |
| Southern University at New Orleans | LA | 4-year public | 2,103 | 2,021 | 96% | 14 | 303 | 183 | NA |
| Coahoma Community College | MS | 2-year public | 2,045 | 1,955 | 96% | 259 | NA | NA | NA |
| Oakwood University | AL | 4-year private nonprofit | 1,939 | 1,690 | 87% | 1 | 321 | 14 | NA |
| Kentucky State University | KY | 4-year public | 1,895 | 1,137 | 60% | 49 | 272 | 49 | NA |
| Elizabeth City State University | NC | 4-year public | 1,867 | 1,494 | 80% | NA | 488 | 55 | NA |
| Claflin University | SC | 4-year private nonprofit | 1,866 | 1,693 | 91% | NA | 371 | 25 | NA |
| Lincoln University | PA | 4-year public | 1,819 | 1,649 | 91% | NA | 279 | 160 | NA |
| Shaw University | NC | 4-year private nonprofit | 1,802 | 1,716 | 95% | 1 | 286 | 18 | NA |
| Miles College | AL | 4-year private nonprofit | 1,782 | 1,736 | 97% | NA | 198 | NA | NA |
| Central State University | OH | 4-year public | 1,751 | 1,686 | 96% | NA | 293 | 6 | NA |
| Virginia Union University | VA | 4-year private nonprofit | 1,715 | 1,669 | 97% | NA | 229 | 119 | 9 |
| Denmark Technical College | SC | 2-year public | 1,678 | 1,615 | 96% | 82 | NA | NA | NA |
| Bluefield State College | WV | 4-year public | 1,563 | 156 | 10% | 117 | 240 | NA | NA |
| Florida Memorial University | FL | 4-year private nonprofit | 1,528 | 1,233 | 81% | NA | 207 | 19 | NA |
| Johnson C. Smith University | NC | 4-year private nonprofit | 1,402 | 1,212 | 86% | NA | 248 | NA | NA |
| Wiley College | TX | 4-year private nonprofit | 1,351 | 1,146 | 85% | 5 | 176 | NA | NA |
| H. Councill Trenholm State Technical College | AL | 2-year public | 1,338 | 786 | 59% | 200 | NA | NA | NA |
| Livingstone College | NC | 4-year private nonprofit | 1,301 | 1,274 | 98% | 0 | 154 | NA | NA |
| Harris-Stowe State University | MO | 4-year public | 1,280 | 1,111 | 87% | NA | 132 | NA | NA |
| Lane College | TN | 4-year private nonprofit | 1,262 | 1,262 | 100% | NA | 239 | NA | NA |
| Dillard University | LA | 4-year private nonprofit | 1,200 | 1,155 | 96% | NA | 186 | NA | NA |
| J. F. Drake State Community and Technical College | AL | 2-year public | 1,062 | 608 | 57% | 98 | NA | NA | NA |
| Stillman College | AL | 4-year private nonprofit | 1,056 | 955 | 90% | NA | 114 | NA | NA |
| Huston-Tillotson University | TX | 4-year private nonprofit | 1,031 | 731 | 71% | NA | 125 | NA | NA |
| Cheyney University of Pennsylvania | PA | 4-year public | 1,022 | 924 | 90% | NA | 150 | 10 | NA |
| Saint Augustine's College | NC | 4-year private nonprofit | 1,016 | 973 | 96% | NA | 226 | NA | NA |
| Le Moyne-Owen College | TN | 4-year private nonprofit | 1,006 | 987 | 98% | NA | 127 | NA | NA |
| Rust College | MS | 4-year private nonprofit | 963 | 924 | 96% | 5 | 103 | NA | NA |
| Edward Waters College | FL | 4-year private nonprofit | 929 | 838 | 90% | NA | 106 | NA | NA |
| Tougaloo College | MS | 4-year private nonprofit | 900 | 887 | 99% | 5 | 153 | NA | NA |
| Arkansas Baptist College | AR | 4-year private nonprofit | 899 | 847 | 94% | 82 | 45 | NA | NA |
| Talladega College | AL | 4-year private nonprofit | 879 | 758 | 86% | NA | 81 | NA | NA |
| Paine College | GA | 4-year private nonprofit | 848 | 787 | 93% | NA | 108 | NA | NA |
| Texas College | TX | 4-year private nonprofit | 813 | 696 | 86% | 21 | 80 | NA | NA |
| Meharry Medical College | TN | 4-year private nonprofit | 802 | 645 | 80% | NA | NA | 69 | 150 |
| Morris College | SC | 4-year private nonprofit | 780 | 762 | 98% | NA | 152 | NA | NA |
| Fisk University | TN | 4-year private nonprofit | 772 | 722 | 94% | NA | 80 | 6 | NA |
| Jarvis Christian College | TX | 4-year private nonprofit | 763 | 623 | 82% | NA | 65 | NA | NA |
| Hinds Community College, Utica Campus | MS | 2-year public | 711 | 674 | 95% | 75 | NA | NA | NA |
| Allen University | SC | 4-year private nonprofit | 660 | 652 | 99% | NA | 81 | NA | NA |
| Bennett College | NC | 4-year private nonprofit | 633 | 595 | 94% | NA | 105 | NA | NA |
| Philander Smith College | AR | 4-year private nonprofit | 567 | 512 | 90% | NA | 108 | NA | NA |
| Selma University | AL | 4-year private nonprofit | 558 | 551 | 99% | 0 | 23 | 10 | NA |
| Concordia College, Alabama | AL | 4-year private nonprofit | 546 | 503 | 92% | 29 | 34 | NA | NA |
| Voorhees College | SC | 4-year private nonprofit | 468 | 461 | 99% | NA | 117 | NA | NA |
| Shorter College | AR | 2-year private nonprofit | 403 | 395 | 98% | 11 | NA | NA | NA |
| Morehouse School of Medicine | GA | 4-year private nonprofit | 398 | 287 | 72% | NA | NA | 26 | 44 |
| Wilberforce University | OH | 4-year private nonprofit | 387 | 373 | 96% | NA | 103 | 5 | NA |
| Virginia University of Lynchburg | VA | 4-year private nonprofit | 324 | 319 | 98% | 82 | 24 | 11 | 4 |
| Interdenominational Theological Center | GA | 4-year private nonprofit | 306 | 295 | 96% | NA | NA | 99 | 5 |
| Paul Quinn College | TX | 4-year private nonprofit | 273 | 227 | 83% | NA | 21 | NA | NA |
| Clinton College | SC | 4-year private nonprofit | 194 | 185 | 95% | 26 | 5 | NA | NA |
| Southwestern Christian College | TX | 4-year private nonprofit | 164 | 128 | 78% | 30 | 0 | NA | NA |
Sources:
