List of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs)

In this article, we will be talking about Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) in the U.S. that you would love to attend. Historically Black Colleges are institutions or universities that were created and established sometime after the civil war and before the 1964 Civil Rights Act.

Below is an active HBCU list of HBCUs in the country.

Alabama A&M University

Starting off, we have Alabama A&M University, a public university founded in 1875. It is located in Huntsville, Alabama.

Albany State University

Albany State University is located in Albany, Georgia, and was created to be a world-class university that strives to push economic growth. It was founded in 1903.

Alcorn State University

Alcorn State University was founded in 1871 and is located in Lorman, Mississippi. Albert Butler, the former Mississippi State Senator, is an alumnus of the school.

Arkansas Baptist College

Arkansas Baptist College is a private HBCU that was founded in 1884 and was previously named the Minister’s Institute. It is located in Little Rock, Arkansas.

Allen University

Allen University is a private HBCU located in Columbia, South Carolina, and enrolls over 600 students manually. It was established in 1870.

American Baptist College

American Baptist College was founded in 1924 and is located in Nashville, Tennessee.

Bowie State University

Bowie State University is the first HBCU to be established in Maryland, and it was founded in 1865. It is also one of the top 10 oldest HBCUs in the country.

Bethune-Cookman University

Bethune-Cookman University is a private university located in Daytona Beach, Florida. It has such a wonderful story behind it and has led the way in inequality since the 1900s.

Bishop State Community College

Bishop State Community College is located in Mobile, Alabama, and was founded in 1927. Mel Showers, the retired WKRG news anchor, is an Alumnus of the college.

Benedict College

Benedict College is a private HBCU located in Colombia, South Carolina. It was founded in 1870.

Bluefield State College

Bluefield State College is an HBCU located in Bluefield, West Virginia. It is a non-residential four-year college and has an acceptance rate of 90%.

Bennett College

Bennett College is a private HBCU that has been around since 1873 and was created to train freed slaves in higher learning. It is located in Greensboro, North Carolina. Dorothy L. Brown who became the First African-American woman surgeon from the South-Eastern United States in 1941 is an alumnus of the institution.

Barber-Scotia College

Barber-Scotia College was founded in 1867 and is located in Concord, North Carolina.

Clark Atlanta University

Clark Atlanta University is a private HBCU founded in 1865. It is the first HBCU in the southern part of the U.S.

Coppin State University

Coppin State University was named after its founder Fanny Jackson Coppin who was dedicated to making a difference in the world and the black community. They are determined to make a difference.

Coahoma Community College

Coahoma Community College was founded in 1949 and is located in Mississippi.

Claflin University

Claflin University is a private HBCU located in Orangeburg, South Carolina. It was founded in 1869.

Central State University

Central State University is a public university located in Wilberforce, Ohio, and founded in 1887.

Cheyney University of Pennsylvania

Cheyney University of Pennsylvania is a public HBCU that was founded in 1837. It is located in Cheyney, Pennsylvania, and is accredited. It offers various degrees in graduate and undergraduate programs. Its first female graduate was Martha A. Fairbeau, who graduated in 1859.

Clinton College

Clinton College was founded in 1894 and is located in Rock Hill, South Carolina.

Delaware State University

Delaware State University is an HBCU located in Dover, Delaware, and is made of two satellite campuses and four colleges. It is also a high-research university and was founded in 1891.

Denmark Technical College

Denmark Technical College was founded in 1948. It was established as the Denmark Branch of the South Carolina Trade School system.

Dillard University

Dillard University is a private HBCU. It is located in New Orleans, Louisiana. It dates as far back as the 1800s but was originally established in 1930.

Drake State Community and Technical College

Drake State Community and Technical College were founded in 1961 in Huntsville, Alabama. It offers various graduate and undergraduate programs, and its tuition after aid is like $3500.

Elizabeth City State University

Elizabeth City State University is a public HBCU located in Elizabeth City, North Carolina. It offers over 30 programs combined in both undergraduate and graduate programs.

Edward Waters University

Edward Waters University is a private HBCU that was founded in 1866. It is located in Jacksonville, Florida, and has affiliations with the African Methodist Episcopal Church..

Fayetteville State University

Fayetteville State University is a public HBCU located in Fayetteville, North Carolina. It was founded by a group of African Americans who wanted an institution of learning in 1867.

Fisk University

Fisk University is a private HBCU that was founded in 1866 and is located in Nashville, Tennessee.

Fort Valley State University

Fort Valley State University was founded in 1890 and enrolls more than 2500 students annually. It is located in Fort Valley, Georgia.

Florida A&M University

Florida A&M University was founded in 1887 in Tallahassee, Florida. It is a public HBCU and is dedicated to providing quality and affordable education for its student, giving them the right guidance to achieve their dreams and aspirations.

Florida Memorial University

Florida Memorial University is located in Miami Gardens, Florida. It was founded in 1879 and has links to the Baptist church. The soul and gospel singer Freddie Lee Peterkin is an alumnus of the university.

Gadsden State Community College

Gadsen State Community College is a public HBCU that was founded in 1965 in Alabama. Andrew Pope, the country musician, is an alumnus of the Community College.

Grambling State University

Grambling State University is a public HBCU located in Grambling, Louisiana. It was founded in 1896.

Hampton University 

Hampton University is a private university founded in 1896. It was founded after the civil war by black and white leaders of the American Missionary Association to educate freedmen.

Howard University

Howard University was founded in the year 1867 and is made up of 13 schools and colleges. Some of their greatest Alumni include the current vice president of the U.S Kamala Harris and Thurgood Marshall a former Supreme Court Justice.

Harris-Stowe State University

Harris-Stowe State University is located in St Louis, Missouri. It was first established in 1857 to train white students, but it was later turned into a black college in 183 by Anna Bracket. The popular producer and entrepreneur DJ Tab is an alumnus of the school.

Hinds Community College, Utica Campus

Hinds Community College, Utica Campus, was founded in 1903 and is located in Utica.

Huston-Tillotson University

Huston-Tillotson University is a private HBCU located in Austin, Texas. It was founded in 1875. Bobby Bradford, the Jazz trumpeter and composer, is an alumnus of the school.

Interdenominational Theological Center

ITC is located in Atlanta, Georgia, and was founded in 1958.

Jackson State University

Jackson State University is a public black university located in Jackson, Mississippi. It is the fourth-largest university in the state of Mississippi and is ranked highly for its research activity.

Jarvis Christian College

Jarvis Christian College is a private Christian HBCU located in Wood County, Texas, and was founded in 1912. It enrolls over 900 students yearly in its various programs.

Johnson C. Smith University

Johnson C. Smith University is a private HCBU located in Charlotte, North Carolina, and has affiliations with the Presbyterian Church.

Kentucky State University

Kentucky State University is a public HBCU located in Kentucky and was founded in 1886. It was the second state-supported institution in Kentucky.

Knoxville College

Knoxville College was founded in 1875 and is located in Knoxville, Tennessee. Johnny Ford, the former Mayor of Tuskegee, Alabama, is an alumnus of the school.

Lane College

Lane College was founded by the Colored Methodist Episcopal in 1882. It is located in Jackson, Tennessee. Its average cost after aid is $13,000.

Lawson State Community College

Lawson State Community College is a public HBCU located in Alabama and was founded in 1949. Johnny High, the former NBA player, was an Alumnus of the community college.

LeMoyne-Owen College

LeMoyne-Owen College is a private HBCU that was founded in Memphis, Tennessee, in 1968. It was established by the United Church of Christ.

Lincoln University

Lincoln University was one of the first HBCUs to be established way back in 1854. It was first known as Ashmun Institute but was renamed Lincoln University.

Lincoln University

Lincoln University is a public HBCU located in Jefferson City, Missouri. It was founded in 1866.

Livingstone College

Livingstone College is a strong Christian and top-notch HBCU with an outstanding staff and a workforce dedicated to helping students be the best in their programs. They offer 23 majors, all that range from science majors to art majors.

Meharry Medical College

Meharry Medical College is another HBCU that was founded by the United Methodist Church and is located in Nashville, Tennessee. It was founded in 1876 and was the first medical school for blacks in Southern America. Hastings Kamuzu Banda, the 1937 President of the Republic of Malawi, was an Alumnus of the Medical College.

Miles College

Miles College was founded in 1898 in Fairfield, Alabama. It is a private HBCU associated with the Methodist church. One of their Alumni is Sam Shade, a professional football player and college football coach.

Mississippi Valley State University

Mississippi Valley State University in Itta Bena, Mississippi and was founded in 1950. The greatest wide receiver of all time, Jerry Rice, is an alum of the school.

Morehouse College

Morehouse College is a private HCBU for men’s liberal arts. It is located in Atlanta, Georgia. Martin Luther King Jr is an alumnus of this college. It was established in 1867.

Morehouse School of Medicine

It is located in Atlanta, Georgia, and was founded in 1975 as part of Morehouse College. Morehouse School of Medicine became independent in 1981.

Morgan State University

Morgan State University is a public HBCU that changed its name from Centenary Biblical Institute to Morgan College in 1867.

Morris Brown College

Morris Brown College was founded in 1881. It is located in Atlanta, GA. In April 2022, Morris Brown regained their accreditation after not having it for 20 years.

Morris College

Morris College is located in Sumter, South Carolina, and was founded in 1908. It was founded by James J. Durham as a grade school that soon became a college.

North Carolina A&T State University

Next on our list is North Carolina A&T State University. It is a part of the University of North Carolina system and was founded in 1891.

North Carolina Central University

North Carolina Central University was founded in 1909 by Dr. James E. Shepard, who was one of the wealthiest African American businessmen at the time, and it became a part of the State System in 1923.

Norfolk State University

Norfolk State University is a public university located in Norfolk, Virginia, and was founded in 1935. The university is dedicated to helping its students spread their wings, especially in the area of engineering.

Oakwood University

Oakwood University is a private HBCU that was founded by the Seventh Day Adventist Church. Davido, the Nigerian Afropop singer, is an Alumnus of the school.

Prairie View A & M University

Prairie View A&M University is a public university located in Texas and founded in 1876. It is the second oldest university in the state. It offers degrees in over 50 courses for both bachelor’s and master’s.

Philander Smith College

Philander Smith College is a private HBCU founded in 1877. It is located in Little Rock, Arkansas.

Paul Quinn College

Paul Quinn College was founded in Dallas, Texas, in 1877. It is a private HBCU that has affiliations with the Methodist Church.

Paine College

Paine College is a private HBCU located in Augusta, Georgia, and is affiliated with two different churches. The college offers programs in both graduate and undergraduate sectors.

Rust College

Rust College is a private HBCU located in Holly Springs, Mississippi, and was founded in 1866. It is the second oldest private college in Mississippi, and it costs an average of $11,000 after aids.

Saint Philip’s College

Saint Philip’s College is a public HBCU located in San Antonio, Texas. It was founded by Bishop James Steptoe in 1898 to educate African American slaves who had been recently freed.

Selma University

Selma University is an HBCU that is located in Selma, Alabama. It has affiliations with the Missionary Baptist church. It was founded in 1878.

Shorter College

Shorter College is a private HBCU founded in 1886 and is located in North Little Rock, Arkansas. It, however, offers only six programs.

Shelton State Community College

Shelton State Community College is located in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. It is a two-year college that enrolls over 7000 students yearly in different courses.

South Carolina State University

South Carolina State University is a public HBCU located in Orangeburg, South Carolina, that was founded in 1896. It is the sole public HBCU in South Carolina.

Southern University and A&M College

Southern University and A&M College is the largest historically black university in the state of Louisiana. The school was founded in 1880.

Southern University at Shreveport

Southern University at Shreveport is a junior college that was founded in 1967 after it was pushed by the administration of Governor John J. Mckeithen. It is located in Shreveport, Louisiana.

Savannah State University

Savannah State University is located in Savannah, Georgia, and is one of the oldest HBCUs in the country. It was founded in 1890. Some of SSU’s notable alumni include Shannon Sharpe, Dr. Charles Elmore, and Ernest “The Cat” Miller.

Spelman College

Spelman College is a private HBCU women’s liberal arts college and is located in Atlanta, Georgia.

Southern University at New Orleans

Southern University at New Orleans was founded in 1956. It is a member of the Southern University System.

Shaw University

Shaw University is located in Raleigh, North Carolina. It is a private Baptist HBCU and was created in 1865.

Simmons College of Kentucky

Simmons College of Kentucky was founded in 1879. It is located in Louisville.

Stillman College

Stillman College is an HBCU founded in 1875 by the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church. It is located in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. It awards degrees in 17 major programs across multiple subjects.

Saint Augustine’s University

Saint Augustine’s University was established founded in Raleigh, North Carolina, in the year 1867. It was by the Episcopal Diocese of N.C. The university offers more than 20 programs for undergraduates.

Texas Southern University

Texas Southern University is a public black university located in Houston, Texas. It was founded in 1927.

Tennessee State University

Tennessee State University was founded in Nashville, Tennessee, in 1912. It is the only state-funded HBCU in the U.S.

Texas College

Texas College is a private HBCU located in Tyler, Texas, and it has affiliations with the United Negro College Fund. It was founded in 1894 by a group of ministers who wanted to help black youths acquire higher education.

Tougaloo College

Tougaloo College was a private HBCU founded in Tougaloo, Jackson, Mississippi. It is also a Christian university and was founded in 1869 to educate freed slaves. Bennie Thompson, the 1968 U.S. Congressman, is an alumnus of the university.

Talladega College

Talladega College is a private HBCU located in Talladega, Alabama. It was founded in 1867. It is Alabama’s oldest private HBCU.

Trenholm State Technical College

Trenholm State Technical College was founded in 1961. It offers several programs and associate degrees and has a great learning environment.

Tuskegee University 

Tuskegee University is a historically black private university located in Tuskegee, Alabama. It offers over 60 programs in both bachelor’s and master’s degrees, with an attendance of over 3000 students from all over the country and overseas.

University of the District of Columbia     

UDC was founded in 1851 and is located in Washington, D.C. It is the only public university located in the city, and it enrolls thousands of students annually.

University of Maryland, Eastern Shore

The University of Maryland, Eastern Shore, is a public university that was founded in 1886. Their colors are maroon and gray.

The University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff

The University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff was founded in the year 1873. It is one of the oldest HBCUs in Arkansas.

University of the Virgin Islands

The University of the Virgin Islands is a public HBCU located in the Virgin Islands. It was established in 1962.

Virginia State University

Virginia State University is a public university located in Ettrick, Virginia, and was founded in 1882. It was the first fully state-supported university for African Americans in the country.

Voorhees College

Voorhees College is a private HBCU located in Denmark, South Carolina. It was founded in 1897 by Elizabeth Evelyn Wright to educate African Americans. Jackie Dinkins, the former Chicago Bulls NBA player, is an alumnus of the institution.

Virginia Union University

Virginia Union University was founded in Richmond, Virginia, in 1865. Charles Oakley and Ben Wallace are two famous alumni of the school.

Virginia University of Lynchburg

Virginia University of Lynchburg was founded in 1886 and is located in Lynchburg, Virginia. Lawrence Carter, the civil rights historian, is an alumnus of the institution.

Winston-Salem State University

Winston-Salem State University was first founded in 1892 and was previously named Slater Industrial Academy. It currently has over 5000 students enrolled.

West Virginia State University

West Virginia State University was founded in 1891 and is located in West Virginia. Their school colors are black and gold.

Wilberforce University

Wilberforce University was founded in 1856 and is located in Wilberforce, Ohio. Their colors are green and gold. 

Wiley College

Wiley College is a private HBCU that is located in Marshall, Texas. It was founded by Bishop Isaac Wiley, whom the school was named after in 1872. 

Xavier University of Louisiana

Xavier University of Louisiana is one of the few private catholic HBCUs in the country. It is located in New Orleans, Louisiana, and was established in 1925.