Resources › For Students and Parents Top Historically Black Colleges and Universities There are 83 four-year HBCUs in the United States; these are some of the best. Share Flipboard Email Print Creating Your College Wish List Introduction Understanding the Different Kinds of Colleges 15 Things to Consider When Choosing a School Faculty to Student Ratio What Is a Liberal Arts College? 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What Is a Reach School? What Is a Match School? What Is a Safety School? Graduating Students at Howard University. Alex Wong / Getty Images By Allen Grove Allen Grove Facebook Twitter College Admissions Expert Ph.D., English, University of Pennsylvania M.A., English, University of Pennsylvania B.S., Materials Science & Engineering and Literature, MIT Dr. Allen Grove is an Alfred University English professor and a college admissions expert with over 20 years of experience helping students transition to college. Learn about our Editorial Process Updated on May 30, 2020 Historically Black colleges or universities, or HBCUs, were typically founded with a mission of providing higher education opportunities to African Americans when segregation often made such opportunities elusive. Many HBCUs were founded soon after the Civil War, but continued racial inequality makes their mission relevant today. Below are eleven of the top historically Black colleges and universities in the United States. The schools on the list were chosen based on four- and six-year graduation rates, retention rates, and overall academic value. Keep in mind that these criteria favor more selective schools since stronger college applicants are more likely to succeed in college. Also recognize that the selection criteria used here may have little to do with the qualities that would make a college a good match for your own personal, academic, and career interests. Rather than force the schools into a rather arbitrary ranking, they are listed alphabetically. It would make little sense to directly compare a large public university like North Carolina A & M with a small Christian college like Tougaloo College. That said, in most national publications, Spelman College and Howard University tend to top the rankings. Claflin University Tingley Memorial Hall at Claflin University. Ammodramus / Wikimedia Commons / CC0 1.0 Founded in 1869, Claflin University is the oldest HBCU in South Carolina. The university does well on the financial aid front, and nearly all students get some form of grant aid. The admissions bar isn't as high as some schools on this list, but with a 56% acceptance rate applicants will need to demonstrate their capacity to contribute to the campus community and succeed academically. Location: Orangeburg, South CarolinaType of Institution: Private liberal arts university affiliated with the Methodist ChurchEnrollment: 2,172 (2,080 undergraduates) Florida A & M FAMU Basketball Arena. Rattlernation / Wikimedia Commons The Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University, Florida A&M or FAMU, is one of only two public universities to make this list. The school wins high marks for graduating African Americans in the sciences and engineering, although FAMU is about much more than STEM fields. Business, journalism, criminal justice, and psychology are among the most popular majors. Academics are supported by a 16 to 1 student / faculty ratio. In athletics, the Rattlers compete in the NCAA Division I Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference. The campus is just a few blocks from Florida State University, and the two universities participate in a cooperative program that allows students to cross-register. Location: Tallahassee, FloridaType of Institution: Public UniversityEnrollment: 10,021 (8,137 undergraduates) Hampton University Memorial Church at Hampton University. Douglas W. Reynolds / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0 Located on an attractive waterfront campus in southeastern Virginia, Hampton University can boast of strong academics with a healthy 13 to 1 student / faculty ratio as well as NCAA Division I athletics. The Pirates compete in the Big South Athletic Conference. The university was founded in 1868 shortly after the American Civil War. Academic programs in biology, business, and psychology are among the most popular. The university also offers several options for online learning. Location: Hampton, VirginiaType of Institution: Private universityEnrollment: 4,321 (3,672 undergraduates) Howard University Founders Library at Howard University. Flickr Vision / Getty Images Howard University is typically ranked among the top one or two HBCUs, and it certainly has the most selective admissions standards, one of the highest graduation rates, and the largest endowment. It's also one of the more expensive HBCUs, but three-quarters of applicants receive grant aid with an average award over $20,000. Academics are supported by a healthy 10 to 1 student / faculty ratio. Location: District of ColumbiaType of Institution: Private universityEnrollment: 9,139 (6,243 undergraduates) Johnson C. Smith University Johnson C. Smith University. James Willamor / Flickr Johnson C. Smith University does a good job educating and graduating students who aren't always well prepared for college when they first matriculate. The school wins high marks for its technology infrastructure, and it was the first HBCU to provide every student with a laptop computer. Academics are supported by an 12 to 1 student / faculty ratio, and popular programs criminology, social work, and biology. The university has been expanding its distance education opportunities in recent years. Location: Charlotte, North CarolinaType of Institution: Private universityEnrollment: 1,565 (1,480 undergraduates) Morehouse College Graves Hall at Morehouse College. Thomson200 / Wikimedia Commons / CC0 1.0 Morehouse College has numerous distinctions including being one of the only all-male colleges in the United States. Morehouse typically ranks among the very best historically Black colleges, and the school's strengths in the liberal arts and sciences earned it a chapter of the prestigious Phi Beta Kappa Honor Society. Academics are supported by a 14 to 1 student / faculty ratio, and business administration is by far the most popular major. Location: Atlanta, GeorgiaType of Institution: Private all-male liberal arts collegeEnrollment: 2,206 (all undergraduate) North Carolina A & T Michelle Obama speaks at North Carolina A&T. Sara D. Davis / Getty Images The North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University is one of the 16 institutions in the University of North Carolina system. It's one of the largest HBCUs and offers well over 100 undergraduate degree programs that are supported by a 18 to 1 student / faculty ratio. Popular majors span fields in the sciences, social sciences, business, and engineering. The university has a 200-acre main campus as well as a 600-acre farm. The Aggies compete in the NCAA Division I Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC), and the school also takes pride in its Blue & Gold Marching Machine. Location: Tuskegee, AlabamaType of Institution: Public universityEnrollment: 12,142 (10,629 undergraduates) Spelman College Spelman College Graduation. Erik S. Lesser / Getty Images Spelman College has the highest graduation rate of all the HBCUs, and this all-female college also wins high marks for social mobility — Spelman graduates tend to go on to do impressive things with their lives; among the alumnae ranks are novelist Alice Walker, singer Bernice Johnson Reagon, and numerous successful attorneys, politicians, musicians, business women, and actors. Academics are supported by an 11 to 1 student / faculty ratio, and roughly 80% of students receive grant aid. The college is selective, and only about a third of all applicants are admitted. Location: Atlanta, GeorgiaType of Institution: Private all-female liberal arts collegeEnrollment: 2,171 (all undergraduate) Tougaloo College The steeple of Woodworth Chapel at Tougaloo College. Social_Stratification / Flickr / CC BY-ND 2.0 Tougaloo College does well on the affordability front: the small college has a low overall price tag, yet nearly all students get significant grant aid. biology, mass communication, psychology, and sociology are among the most popular majors, and academics are supported by a 11 to 1 student / faculty ratio. The college describes itself as "church related, but not church controlled," and it has maintained a religious affiliation since it's founding in 1869. Location: Tougaloo, MississippiType of Institution: Private liberal arts college affiliated with the United Church of ChristEnrollment: 736 (726 undergraduates) Tuskegee University White Hall at Tuskegee University. Buyenlarge / Getty Images Tuskegee University has many claims to fame: it first opened its doors under the leadership of Booker T. Washington, and famous alumni include Ralph Ellison and Lionel Richie. The university was also home to the Tuskegee Airmen during World War II. Today the university has notable strengths in the sciences, business, and engineering. Academics are supported by a 14 to 1 student / faculty ratio, and nearly 90% of students receive some form of grant aid. Location: Tuskegee, AlabamaType of Institution: Private universityEnrollment: 3,026 (2,529 undergraduates) Xavier University of Louisiana Xavier University of Louisiana. Louisiana Travel / Flickr / CC BY-ND 2.0 Xavier University of Louisiana has the distinction of being the only HCBU in the country affiliated with the Catholic Church. The university is strong in the sciences, and both biology and chemistry are popular majors. The university has a liberal arts focus, and academics are supported by a 15 to 1 student / faculty ratio. Location: New Orleans, LouisianaType of Institution: Private liberal arts university affiliated with the Roman Catholic ChurchEnrollment: 3,231 (2,478 undergraduates) Cite this Article Format mla apa chicago Your Citation Grove, Allen. "Top Historically Black Colleges and Universities." ThoughtCo, Jan. 3, 2021, thoughtco.com/top-historically-black-college-and-universities-4154080. Grove, Allen. (2021, January 3). Top Historically Black Colleges and Universities. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/top-historically-black-college-and-universities-4154080 Grove, Allen. "Top Historically Black Colleges and Universities." ThoughtCo. https://www.thoughtco.com/top-historically-black-college-and-universities-4154080 (accessed June 3, 2023). copy citation Featured Video