WHY HBCUs

Historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) are institutions of higher education that were founded prior to 1964 for the specific purpose of educating African Americans. Shut out of mainstream colleges due to segregation laws. HBCUs served as a beacon to fight against segregation and racism and for the right to an education.

The Showcase of HBCU began as niche marketing avenue to highlight the college and career opportunities available for African American students at black colleges.

  • Students deserve a quality education.

  • Students want to feel nurtured and supported as they work toward their goals.

  • HBCUs have a track record of graduating successful students.

Highlights of student achievements at HBCUs include:

  • In academic year 2017–18, some 48,300 degrees were conferred by HBCUs. Of the degrees conferred, associate’s degrees accounted for 11 percent, more than two-thirds were bachelor’s degrees (68 percent), master’s degrees accounted for 16 percent of degrees, and doctor’s degrees accounted for 5 percent (source: nces.ed.gov)
  • Xavier University and Prairie View A&M University are historically black institutions that regularly rank among the top two and top ten producers, respectively, of future African American doctors among colleges and universities (source: HBCUs and the Production of Doctors)
  • 21 of the top 50 institutions for educating African American graduates who go on to receive their doctorates in science, math, and engineering, are HBCUs (source: edi.nih.gov)
  • HBCUs produce 27% of African American students with bachelor’s degrees in STEM fields (source: edi.nih.gov)
  • HBCUs account for just 3 percent of four-year nonprofit colleges, but their alumni account for roughly 80 percent of black judges and 50 percent of black lawyers and doctors (source: Why America Needs Its HBCUs)
  • Fifty percent of black faculty in traditionally white research universities received their bachelor’s degrees at an HBCU (source: ed.gov)
  • In 2019, there were 101 HBCUs, 1,626 public colleges, 1,687 private non-profit colleges and 985 for profit institutions. Those are staggering numbers when a student is deciding on just one! (source: nces.ed.gov)

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