What Is an HBCU?

The U.S. Department of Education’s Higher Education Act of 1965 defines an HBCU as any institution established prior to 1964 whose “principal mission was, and is, the education of black Americans,” and that holds accreditation from a nationally recognized accrediting agency. This federal definition matters because it determines which institutions receive federal grants, research funding, and targeted programmatic support set aside specifically for HBCUs.

If you’re wondering whether an HBCU is simply any school with a majority-Black student body, the answer is no. Accreditation status and founding date are both firm requirements. An institution founded after 1964 — even one primarily serving Black students — does not qualify under the standard federal definition, although certain federal regulations allow limited exceptions.

As of 2022, there are 99 federally recognized HBCUs spread across 19 states, the District of Columbia, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Of those, 50 are public institutions and 49 are private nonprofits. Whether you’re a prospective student, a parent researching options, or a first-generation college student navigating your choices for the first time, understanding this legal definition helps you evaluate whether a school qualifies for HBCU-targeted scholarships, federal grants, and institutional support programs — all of which can significantly affect your cost and your college experience.

The story of HBCUs begins before the Civil War. The oldest HBCU, Cheyney University of Pennsylvania, was founded in 1837 — nearly three decades before the end of slavery. These early institutions were created because Black Americans were largely or entirely excluded from existing colleges and universities due to racial discrimination and formal segregation laws.

After the Civil War, HBCUs expanded dramatically. The Freedmen’s Bureau — a federal organization created during Reconstruction to assist formerly enslaved people — helped fund and establish schools throughout the South. Institutions like Howard University and Morehouse College were founded during this period, providing liberal arts education and training for teaching, law, and ministry to a population that had been systematically denied access to learning.

The Second Morrill Act of 1890 further accelerated HBCU development by requiring states that excluded Black students from their land-grant colleges to establish separate land-grant institutions for Black students in order to receive federal funding. This legislation led to the founding of institutions such as Tuskegee University and Florida A&M University.

The Higher Education Act of 1965 gave HBCUs their formal federal designation and opened the door to direct federal grant funding. By the Civil Rights era, HBCUs had trained generations of the Black professional class — lawyers, doctors, teachers, and engineers — who would go on to reshape American civic life. Today, that mission continues, though the landscape of higher education has changed significantly since segregation ended.

HBCUs are not a monolith. Across the 99 federally recognized institutions, you’ll find an enormous range of school types, sizes, missions, and price points. Understanding the landscape helps you identify schools that fit your academic goals, financial situation, and preferred campus environment.

In terms of control, 50 are public institutions and 49 are private nonprofits. Roughly 88 percent of HBCU students attend 4-year institutions, while 12 percent attend 2-year institutions — meaning there are accessible community college pathways as well as full bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral programs. Publicly controlled HBCUs are generally less expensive for in-state students, while private HBCUs may offer more personalized campus experiences and competitive merit-based scholarships.

Geographically, most HBCUs are concentrated in the South. Alabama leads all states with 13 HBCUs, followed by North Carolina with 10. Georgia, Texas, South Carolina, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Tennessee each have at least six. However, HBCUs also exist in northern states including Pennsylvania, home to both Cheyney University and Lincoln University. The University of the Virgin Islands extends the HBCU footprint beyond the continental United States.

Some of the most well-known HBCUs include Howard University (Washington, D.C.), Spelman College (Atlanta, Georgia), Morehouse College (Atlanta, Georgia), and Florida A&M University (Tallahassee, Florida). Each varies considerably in size, research output, program offerings, and campus culture. Your best fit depends on what matters most to you — from program quality to campus size to cost.

One of the most common misconceptions about HBCUs is that only Black students attend them — or that only Black students are allowed to. Neither is true. HBCUs are open to all students regardless of race, and federal law does not restrict enrollment based on racial identity. As stated by the U.S. Department of Education, “HBCUs offer all students, regardless of race, an opportunity to develop their skills and talents.”

As of 2022, approximately 76 percent of HBCU students are Black, while 24 percent are non-Black. That non-Black share has grown considerably over time — from 15 percent in 1976 — reflecting broader demographic shifts and an increasing recognition of HBCUs’ academic quality and cultural value among students from all backgrounds.

The HBCU student population also skews female. Women have made up the majority of HBCU enrollment in every year since 1976, and by 2022, 64 percent of HBCU students were female. This reflects national trends in higher education, where women now outnumber men in college enrollment overall, but the gap at HBCUs is slightly wider than at other institution types.

Many HBCU students are also first-generation college students and come from low- and middle-income households, making HBCUs particularly important institutions for economic mobility. In 2019–20, 82 percent of HBCU undergraduates received federal financial aid — higher than national averages — underscoring the role these schools play in expanding college access to students who might not otherwise attend.

If you’re anxious about feeling out of place in college — a common concern, especially for first-generation students or those who’ve experienced racial isolation in K–12 settings — the culture of HBCUs is something you should understand when making your decision.

Research conducted by UNCF and Gallup found that Black HBCU graduates report higher levels of engagement and more robust support from professors and advisors than Black students who attended predominantly white institutions. This sense of belonging has measurable effects: it contributes to stronger academic persistence, higher graduation rates among supported student populations, and better long-term career satisfaction.

The campus experience at HBCUs is also deeply rooted in African American culture and history. Traditions such as homecoming celebrations, marching band culture, step shows, and Greek-letter organizations — including the historically Black Divine Nine fraternities and sororities — are central to HBCU campus life in ways that simply don’t translate to other institutional environments. For many students, this cultural continuity is itself a form of academic support, reducing the cognitive and emotional burden of constantly having to explain or defend their identity.

HBCUs are also home to important cultural archives, historically significant libraries, and research centers dedicated to African American studies and Black history — resources that enrich the academic environment for all students, not just Black ones. Whether you’re drawn to the community, the culture, the curriculum, or all three, the HBCU experience is genuinely distinctive.

You may wonder whether an HBCU degree will be taken seriously by employers or graduate schools. The data on this question is clear: HBCUs punch far above their weight academically, particularly in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.

According to the White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities, HBCUs produce nearly 20 percent of all Black college graduates and 25 percent of Black graduates earning degrees in STEM fields. This is a remarkable output for institutions that represent only 3 percent of all colleges and universities in the United States.

In academic year 2021–22 alone, HBCUs conferred approximately 48,800 degrees: 67 percent were bachelor’s degrees, 16 percent were master’s degrees, and 6 percent were doctoral degrees. Between 2013 and 2017, seven of the top ten institutions where African American science and engineering Ph.D. recipients earned their undergraduate degrees were HBCUs — meaning HBCUs are significant feeders into the nation’s doctoral pipeline for Black scientists and engineers.

Prominent HBCU alumni include Vice President Kamala Harris (Howard University), Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. (Morehouse College), Oprah Winfrey (Tennessee State University), and Thurgood Marshall (Lincoln University of Pennsylvania and Howard University School of Law). The breadth of this alumni record reflects the range of fields — medicine, law, public policy, the arts, and science — where HBCU graduates have reached the highest levels of professional achievement.

Cost is one of the biggest anxieties students face when choosing a college. The good news for prospective HBCU students is that these institutions are, on average, more affordable than comparable non-HBCUs — and robust financial aid opportunities exist specifically for HBCU students.

According to UNCF, HBCUs cost an average of 34 percent less than comparable institutions. In 2019–20, 90 percent of all HBCU undergraduates received some type of financial aid. The average total financial aid package for HBCU undergraduates who received aid was $17,300 — with an average grant component of $9,200 and an average student loan amount of $7,700.

Several major scholarship sources are specifically designed for HBCU students:

Federal Aid: Filing the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) at studentaid.gov makes you eligible for Pell Grants, federal loans, and work-study programs. At HBCUs, 82 percent of undergrads receive federal aid, with an average federal aid package of $13,200.

UNCF Scholarships: The United Negro College Fund (UNCF) awards more than 11,000 scholarships annually, totaling approximately $83 million per year. These are open to students at UNCF-member HBCUs and other institutions. You can search available scholarships at scholarships.uncf.org.

Institutional Aid: Many HBCUs offer competitive merit scholarships directly through their financial aid offices. Howard University’s Capstone Scholars Program and Spelman College’s merit awards are well-known examples, but nearly every HBCU has institutional aid available.

State Aid: Depending on where you live, state need-based grants may be applicable at in-state public HBCUs. Check your state’s higher education agency website for details.

The process of choosing and applying to HBCUs can feel overwhelming — especially if you’re a first-generation student or navigating the college search without much guidance. But there are official tools that make the process significantly more manageable.

Start with the official accredited HBCU list published by the U.S. Department of Education’s White House Initiative on HBCUs. This is your authoritative reference point for knowing which schools qualify. From there, the NCES College Navigator allows you to filter HBCUs by state, type (2-year vs. 4-year, public vs. private), tuition range, and program offerings.

Once you’ve identified schools of interest, the Common Black College Application allows you to apply to multiple HBCUs through a single platform — saving time and, in many cases, reducing application fees. Filing your FAFSA early on the Federal Student Aid website is also essential, since aid awards from individual schools are often distributed on a rolling basis.

If you want to visit campuses before deciding, many HBCUs offer official campus preview events, and some offer virtual campus tours. Searching for “admitted students day” or “open house” on each school’s official .edu site will surface upcoming events.

Don’t wait to be certain before applying. Apply broadly, compare your aid packages, and then make your decision with real numbers in hand.