Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs)
What is an HBCU?
According to the U.S. Department of Education, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) are institutions founded before 1964 with the principal mission of educating African Americans and are accredited by a nationally recognized accrediting agency. HBCUs offer students regardless of race the opportunity to continue their academic endeavors. Since the founding of HBCU's, these institutions have expanded exponentially in both funding and size. This growth has allowed for the enhancement of equal opportunity and educational rights for all students and currently, there are now more than 100 HBCUs across the United States.
The HBCU Experience
Higher Education Central has provided a list regarding HBCU culture. Learn more about the culture and if an HBCU is for you.
- Benefits:
- Feeling comfortable being yourself: HBCUs allow you to explore your ambitions around the context of your race
- Finding confidence in your identity: instructors provide a cultural perspective to their teaching
- Role models - connecting with faculty with similar racial perspectives
- Things to Consider:
- Diversity: just like at a primarily white college, attending an HBCU might not provide one with the same cultural diversity as other institutions
- Culture shock for non-African American students
Here is a quick list of famous HBCU Alumni:
- Rev. Jesse Jackson, North Carolina A&T State University
- Samuel L. Jackson, Morehouse College
- Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Morehouse College
- Wanda Sykes, Hampton University
- Oprah Winfrey, Tennessee State University
- Chadwick Boseman, Howard University
HBCUs by the numbers
Knowing the states from the National Center for Educational statistics:
- There are more than 102 Historically Black Colleges and Universities and are located in over 19 states
- 51 are public institutions and 51 are private nonprofit institutions
- During the 2016-2017 Academic Year 49,500 degrees were awarded
- In 2017, 24% of enrollment at HBCUs was comprised of non-black students
According to the United Negro College Fund (UNCF):
- 25% of all African Americans with bachelors degrees in STEM fields received their degree from an HBCU
- 14% of all African American Engineering degrees were awarded from an HBCU
- HBCU students paid an average of 26% less for their total cost of attendance than four year non-profit college students (2013-2014 Academic Year)
For more information from our sources and to learn more about support for attending HBCUs, please check out the buttons below.