What is HBCU? - U Can Go To College

Upcoming Events

There are no upcoming events currently scheduled.

What is HBCU?

What is a Historically Black College or University?

Historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) as institutions of higher education and learning have provided a haven of opportunities for African American educators, students, and graduates to achieve success, and impact lives throughout the United States and internationally. Graduates have left there marks on the culture and politics in the United States and around the globe. Most notably are such graduates as the late Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Toni Morrison (Nobel Prize Winners), Oprah Winfrey (Billionaire, Media Mogul and Icon), the late Thurgood Marshall (first African American Supreme Court justice), Kwame Nkrumah (the first democratically elected President of Ghana),Yolanda Adams and Shirley Caesar (Gospel Recording Artists), and the list goes on. HBCU’s have produced doctors, dentists, lawyers, engineers, teachers, entrepreneurs, politicians, recording artists, actors, professional athletes, veterinarians etc. The first HBCU Cheyney University was established in Pennsylvania during 1837, prior to the 1964 Brown v. Board of Education ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court outlawing the racial segregation of public education facilities. During 1837 and thereafter, establishing HBCUs provided an educational service to the African American community during a time in U.S. history when blacks were forbidden to receive an education. Today HBCUs are still playing a significant role in the education of African American students who are disproportionately impacted by the inability to gain admissions into non-African American institutions of higher learning. HBCUs still hold African American students in high esteem.

How many Historically Black Colleges and universities are in the U.S.?

There are 100 historically black colleges in the U.S. today, including public and private, two-year and four year institutions.

NAME OF HBCU	CITY/STATE	WEBSITE
Alabama A & M University	Huntsville, Alabama	www.aamu.edu
Alabama State University	Montgomery, Alabama	www.alasu.edu
Albany State University	Albany, Georgia	www.asurams.edu
Alcorn State University	Alcorn State, Mississippi	www.alcorn.edu
Allen University	Columbia, South Carolina	www.scicu.org/allen
Arkansas Baptist College	Little Rock, Arkansas	www.arkansasbaptist.edu
Barber-Scotia College	Concord, North Carolina	www.b-sc.edu
Benedict College	Columbia, South Carolina	www.Benedict.edu
Bennett College	Greensboro, North Carolina	www.bennett.edu
Bethune-Cookman College	Daytona Beach, Florida	www.bethune.cookman.edu
Bluefield State College	Bluefield West Virginia	www.bluefieldstate.edu
Bowie State University	Bowie, Maryland	www.bowiestate.edu
Central State University	Wilberforce, Ohio	www.centralstate.edu
Cheney University	Cheney, Pennsylvania	www.cheyney.edu
Claflin University	Orangeburg, South Carolina	www.claflin.edu
Clark Atlanta University	Atlanta, Florida	www.cau.edu
Concordia College	Selma, Alabama	www.concordiaselma.edu
Coppin State University	Baltimore, Maryland	www.coppin.edu
Delaware State University	Dover, Delaware	www.desu.edu
Dillard University	New Orleans, Louisiana	www.dillard.edu
Edward-Waters College	Jacksonville, Florida	www.ewc.edu
Elizabeth City State University	Elizabeth City, North Carolina	www.ecsu.edu
Fayetteville State University	Fayetteville, North Carolina	www.uncfsu.edu
Fisk University		www.fisk.edu
Florida A&M University	Tallahassee, Florida	www.famu.edu
Florida Memorial University	Miami Gardens, Florida	www.fmuniv.edu
Fort Valley State University	Fort Valley, Florida	www.fvsu.edu
Grambling State University	Grambling, Louisiana	www.gram.edu
Hampton University	Hampton, Virginia	www.hampton.edu
Harris-Stowe State University	St. Louis, Missouri	www.hssu.edu
Howard University	Washington, D.C	www.howard.edu
Huston-Tilloston University	Austin, Texas	www.htu.edu
Jackson State University	Jackson, Mississippi	www.jsums.edu
Jarvis Christian College	Hawkins, Texas	www.jarvis.edu
Johnson C. Smith University	Charlotte, North Carolina	www.jcsu.edu
Kentucky State University	Frankfort, Kentucky	www.kysu.edu
Knoxville College	Knoxville, Tennessee	www.knoxvillecollege.edu
Lanes College	Jackson, Tennessee	www.lanecollege.edu
Langston University	Langston, Oklahoma	www.lunet.edu
LeMoyne-Owen University	Memphis, Tennessee	www.loc.edu
Lincoln University	Jefferson City, Missouri	www.lincolnu.edu
Lincoln University	Lincoln University, Pennsylvania	www.lincoln.edu
Livingstone College	Salisbury, North Carolina	www.livingstone.edu
Miles College	Fairfield, Alabama	www.miles.edu
Mississippi Valley State University	Itta Bena, Mississippi	www.mvsu.edu
Morehouse College	Atlanta, Florida	www.morehouse.edu
Morgan State University	Baltimore, Maryland	www.morgan.edu
Morris Brown College	Atlanta, Florida	www.morrisbrown.edu
Morris College	Sumter, South Carolina	www.morris.edu
Norfolk State University	Norfolk, Virginia	www.nsu.edu
North Carolina A&T State University	Greensboro, North Carolina	www.ncat.edu
North Carolina Central University	Durham, North Carolina	www.nccu.edu
Oakwood College	Huntsville, Alabama	www.oakwood.edu
Paine College	Augusta, Georgia	www.paine.edu
Paul Quinn College	Dallas, Texas	www.pqc.edu
Philander Smith College	Little Rock, Arkansas	www.philander.edu
Prairie View A&M University	Prairie View, Texas	www.pvamu.edu
Rust College	Holly Springs, Mississippi	www.rustcollege.edu
Saint Augustine’s College	Raleigh, North Carolina	www.st-aug.edu
Saint Paul’s College	Lawrenceville, Virginia	www.saintpauls.edu
Savannah State University	Savannah, Georgia	www.savstate.edu
Selma University	Selma, Alabama	www.selmauniversity.com
Shaw University	Raleigh, North Carolina	www.shawuniversity.edu
South Carolina State University	Orangeburg, South Carolina	www.scsu.edu
Southern University and A&M College	Baton Rouge, Louisiana	www.subr.edu
Southern University at New Orleans	New Orleans,	www.suno.edu
Spelman College	Atlanta, Georgia	www.spelman.edu
Stillman College	Tuscaloosa, Alabama	www.stillman.edu
Talladega College	Talladega, Alabama	www.talladega.edu
Tennessee State University	Nashville, Tennessee	www.tnstate.edu
Texas College	Tyler, Texas	www.texascollege.edu
Texas Southern University	Houston, Texas	www.tsu.edu
Tougaloo College	Tougaloo Mississippi	www.tougaloo.edu
Tuskegee University	Tuskegee Institute, Alabama	www.tusk.edu
University of Arkansas, Pine Bluff	Pine Bluff, Arkansas	www.uapb.edu
University of Maryland Eastern Shore	Princess Anne, Maryland	www.umes.edu
University of the District of Columbia	Washington, D.C	www.udc.edu
University of the Virgin Islands	St. Thomas, Virgin Islands	www.uvi.edu
Virginia State University	Petersburg, Virginia	www.vsu.edu
Virginia Union University	Richmond, Virginia	www.vuu.edu
Voorhees College	Denmark, South Carolina	www.voorhees.edu
West Virginia State University	Institute, West Virginia	www.wvstateu.edu
Wilberforce University	Wilberforce, Ohio	www.wilberforce.edu
Wiley College	Marshall, Texas	www.wiley.edu
Winston-Salem State University	Winston Salem, North Carolina	www.wssu.edu
Xavier University	New Orleans, Louisiana	www.xula.edu

Why you should consider attending a Historically Black College or University?

Some HBCUs have minimum GPA and SAT requirements that are reachable for most students.
Cost for most HBCUs is between $11,000 and $16,000 per year.
Academic Scholarships start with GPAs as low as 2.50
Full Scholarships start at 1100 SAT & 3.50 GPA
Small schools (13,000 largest-FAMU & Howard)
Small Class sizes (12/1, 10/1, etc.)
High Graduation Rates/High Graduation Rate for Student Athletes
A large percentage of students receive financial aid
HBCUs are flexible and willing to work with families
Nurturing Environment
Mentoring/Role Models
Networking
Culture/History
Job Placement
Provides Positive Options for Students
Some HBCUs have special admission provisions for special cases.
Some students are accepted solely on the recommendation of the U-CAN President.