FAQ
According to the Higher Education Act of 1965, a HBCU is an historically black college or university that was established before 1964 and whose principal objective is to educate black Americans. HBCUs must be accredited or be recognized as seeking such by a nationally recognized accrediting entity. Top HBCUs here.
The letters in HBCU stand for historically black colleges or universities.
Learn More: As An African American, Should I Attend An HBCU?
Twenty-two US states have HBCUs: Alabama, Arkansas, California, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia; Washington, DC; and West Virginia.
There is also an HBCU in the U.S. Virgin Islands.
There are more than 100 HBCUs.
Each HBCU has its own policies for campus tours. To arrange a visit, search on the website of your favorite HBCU for “campus tours” or check out the websites below:
In a 2008 survey, RTI International (a nonprofit research company) found the participating HBCUs had a lower rate of sexual assault cases than predominantly white institutions. However, all college students should follow best practices for campus safety.
There are too many noteworthy HBCU alumni to list here, but here’s a great video that features some accomplished graduates.
The first place to look is at your preferred HBCU’s website because many schools offer their own scholarships. Next, check at your current high school or university’s guidance office. You can also check some general scholarship sites, such as Scholarship.com, Fastweb.com, Unigo.com, Collegeboard.com, and Niche.com.
While you can focus your search on scholarships for African American students, don’t forget to look for scholarships based on your gender, college major, religious affiliation, and even your hobbies. Certain large corporations offer scholarships to employees and/or their children.
No one can answer this question for you. You should carefully consider many factors when selecting where to study: degree program offerings, cost, location, etc. Fortunately, you can learn firsthand what some HBCUs are like right here on our website!
Each HBCU has its own requirements of admission. Visit the website of the HBCU of your choice or contact its Admissions department to get full details.
If you’d like to hear some firsthand HBCU experiences from past and present scholars, visit our Student Interviews page.
Each HBCU offers different programs of study. You’ll have to check on the website of the HBCU of your choice under Academics, Degrees, or Programs to get full details. Consult the course catalog for the requirements of each major.
You can find information about specific courses in the online course catalog of the HBCU of your choice.
All you have to do is share your story here. We will review your submission and publish it along with relevant links.
The goal of our interviews is to provide insight into what it’s really like to study at a HBCU from a first-person perspective.
We believe that the details of your experiences are invaluable to others considering attending an HBCU.
The more you share, the more the visitors to this site can connect with your experience and find answers to their questions so please answer every question if you can. However, if you don’t feel comfortable sharing something, just say so!
Wisdom and truth are limitless! Type as much as you want, and take your time.