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If you want to learn more about the HBCU colleges, you’re at the right spot; we’ve compiled a list of all the accredited Black colleges and the states where they are located. Let’s start with the basics and explain what HBCUs are and what that acronym means before we move on.
What is an HBCU?
The letters “HBCU” are an acronym for Historically Black Colleges and Universities. They are schools that were founded on the belief that every student deserves access to a college or higher education, dating back to the early 1800s.
When segregation was legal, these establishments began to take shape and grow. Providing black Americans with opportunities to pursue higher education was a game-changer in their fight to advance economically and socially. Today, students of all races are welcome at HBCUs.
How many HBCUs are there?
The US Department of Education has given the HBCU label to 107 schools, both public and private. In 2020, there were 101 accredited HBCUs in 19 states, the District of Columbia, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Out of the 101 HBCUs, 52 were public schools and 49 were private schools that gave back to the community, according to the National Center for Educational Statistics.
Related Post – Largest HBCU in the Nation: Top 10 Black Colleges by Enrollment
The Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended defines an HBCU as:
“Any historically black college or university that was established prior to 1964, whose principal mission was, and is, the education of Black Americans, and that is accredited by a nationally recognized accrediting agency or association determined by the Secretary of Education.”
Related Post – The First HBCU: Remembering The Oldest Black Colleges In the Nation
Where are HBCU colleges located?
There are more HBCU colleges in the southeastern United States than in any other region. Alabama is home to a number of historically black colleges and universities. Browse the states where HBCUs are located using the interactive map provided below.
List of HBCUs by State
Alabama
There are a total of 14 Black colleges in the state of Alabama, making it the state with the most HBCUs in the country. Nine of the 14 are 4-year universities, while the other 5 are 2-year community colleges.
School | Type | Location |
---|---|---|
Alabama A&M University | Public, 4 Year | Normal, AL |
Alabama State University | Public, 4 Year | Montgomery, AL |
Bishop State Community College | Public, 2 Year | Mobile, AL |
Concordia College (Alabama) | Private, 4 Year | Selma, AL |
Gadsden State Community College | Public, 2 Year | Gadsden, AL |
Lawson State Community College | Public, 2 Year | Birmingham, AL |
Miles College | Private, 4 Year | Fairfield, AL |
Oakwood University | Private, 4 Year | Huntsville, AL |
Selma University | Private, 4 Year | Selma, AL |
Shelton State Community College | Public, 2 Year | Tuscaloosa, AL |
Stillman College | Private, 4 Year | Tuscaloosa, AL |
Talladega College | Private, 4 Year | Talladega, AL |
Tuskegee University | Private, 4 Year | Tuskegee, AL |
J.F. Drake State Community and Technical College | Public, 2 Year | Huntsville, AL |
Arkansas
Four HBCU colleges can be found in the state of Arkansas; only one of these is a public university (and the largest of the four), while the other three are private and all clustered around Little Rock.
School | Type | Location |
---|---|---|
University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff | Public, 4 Year | Pine Bluff, AR |
Arkansas Baptist College | Private, 4 Year | Little Rock, AR |
Philander Smith College | Private, 4 Year | Little Rock, AR |
Shorter College | Private, 2 Year | Little Rock, AR |
California
The only HBCU on the west coast of the United States is in California. The Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science is a private graduate school. It was started in 1966 because people in the Watts neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, didn’t have enough access to health care.
School | Type | Location |
---|---|---|
Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science | Private, 4 Year | Los Angeles, CA |
Delaware
Delaware State University (DSU) is the only historically black college in Delaware. DSU is a public land-grant research university known for its diverse student body, which includes people from 41 states and 15 countries.
School | Type | Location |
---|---|---|
Delaware State University | Public, 4 Year | Dover, DE |
Washington, District of Columbia
Washington, D.C., has two HBCUs that have one or more colleges in addition to their main campuses. Howard University was founded in 1867, and the University of the District of Columbia (UDC) was founded in 1851. UDC is the only public university in the Washington, DC, metropolitan area.
School | Type | Location |
---|---|---|
Howard University | Private, 4 Year | Washington, D.C. |
Howard University College of Medicine | Private, 4 Year | Washington, D.C. |
Howard University School of Law | Private, 4 Year | Washington, D.C. |
University of the District of Columbia (UDC) | Public, 4 Year | Washington, D.C. |
UDC David A. Clarke School of Law | Public, 4 Year | Washington, D.C. |
Florida
If you want to attend an HBCU in Florida, you have four options: Florida A&M University and Edward Waters University in north Florida; Bethune-Cookman University in the central part of the state; and Florida Memorial University in south Florida.
School | Type | Location |
---|---|---|
Bethune-Cookman University | Private, 4 Year | Daytona Beach, FL |
Edward Waters College | Private, 4 Year | Jacksonville, FL |
Florida A&M University | Public, 4 Year | Tallahassee, FL |
Florida A&M University College of Law | Public, 4 Year | Orlando, FL |
Florida Memorial University | Private, 4 Year | Miami Gardens, FL |
Georgia
After Alabama, Georgia has the second largest number of HBCUs in a single state. There is a mix of private and public options for HBCUs in Georgia to choose from, some of which are the top historically black colleges in the nation.
School | Type | Location |
---|---|---|
Albany State University | Public, 4 Year | Albany, GA |
Fort Valley State University | Public, 4 Year | Fort Valley, GA |
Savannah State University | Public, 4 Year | Savannah, GA |
Clark Atlanta University | Private, 4 Year | Atlanta, GA |
Interdenominational Theological Center | Private, 4 Year | Atlanta, GA |
Morehouse College | Private, 4 Year | Atlanta, GA |
Morehouse School of Medicine | Private, 4 Year | Atlanta, GA |
Morris Brown College | Private, 4 Year | Atlanta, GA |
Paine College | Private, 4 Year | Augusta, GA |
Spelman College | Private, 4 Year | Atlanta, GA |
Kentucky
In Kentucky, there are two HBCU options to consider. Kentucky State University, founded in 1886 as the State Normal School for Colored Persons, and Simmons College of Kentucky, founded in 1879 and accredited as the nation’s 107th HBCU.
School | Type | Location |
---|---|---|
Kentucky State University | Public, 4 Year | Frankfort, KY |
Simmons College | Private, 4 Year | Louisville, KY |
Louisianna
There are seven HBCU colleges in Louisiana. Five of them are public, and one of them is a law school. The other two are private. Grambling State University, which opened in 1901 in Grambling, LA, and Southern University and A&M College, which opened in 1880 in Baton Rouge, LA, are two of the most popular HBCUs in Louisiana and the state.
School | Type | Location |
---|---|---|
Grambling State University | Public, 4 Year | Grambling, LA |
Southern University and A&M College | Public, 4 Year | Baton Rouge, LA |
Southern University Law Center | Public, 4 Year | Baton Rouge, LA |
Southern University at New Orleans | Public, 4 Year | New Orleans, LA |
Southern University at Shreveport | Public, 2 Year | Shreveport, LA |
Dillard University | Private, 4 Year | New Orleans, LA |
Xavier University of Louisiana | Private, 4 Year | New Orleans, LA |
Maryland
The state of Maryland is home to four public HBCUs. Two are located in Baltimore, MD, and the remaining two are in Bowie and Princess Anne, MD. The oldest of the HBCUs in Maryland is Bowie State University, founded in 1865 as the “Baltimore Normal School.”
School | Type | Location |
---|---|---|
Bowie State University | Public, 4 Year | Bowie, MD |
Coppin State University | Public, 4 Year | Baltimore, MD |
Morgan State University | Public, 4 Year | Baltimore, MD |
University of Maryland Eastern Shore | Public, 4 Year | Princess Anne, MD |
Mississippi
Mississippi’s seven HBCUs are scattered. There are five public and private four-year schools. Two public two-year HBCUs remain. Jackson State University, founded in 1877 in Jackson, MS, has more students than any other Mississippi HBCU.
School | Type | Location |
---|---|---|
Alcorn State University | Public, 4 Year | Lorman, MS |
Jackson State University | Public, 4 Year | Jackson, MS |
Mississippi Valley State University | Public, 4 Year | Itta Bena, MS |
Coahoma Community College | Public, 2 Year | Clarksdale, MS |
Hinds Community College-Utica | Public, 2 Year | Utica, MS |
Rust College | Private, 4 Year | Holly Springs, MS |
Tougaloo College | Private, 4 Year | Tougaloo, MS |
Missouri
There are two public HBCUs in Missouri. Harris-Stowe State University is in St. Louis, MO, and Jefferson City, MO, is home to Lincoln University of Missouri. The larger HBCU is Lincoln University, which began as the Lincoln Institute in 1866.
School | Type | Location |
---|---|---|
Harris-Stowe State University | Public, 4 Year | St. Louis, MO |
Lincoln University of Missouri | Public, 4 Year | Jefferson City, MO |
North Carolina
North Carolina has twelve historically black colleges and universities. Raleigh’s Shaw University, which was founded in 1865, is the oldest in the South. North Carolina Central University in Durham, which was founded in 1910, is the state’s newest HBCU.
School | Type | Location |
---|---|---|
Elizabeth City State University | Public, 4 Year | Elizabeth City, NC |
Fayetteville State University | Public, 4 Year | Fayetteville, NC |
North Carolina A&T State University | Public, 4 Year | Greensboro, NC |
North Carolina Central University | Public, 4 Year | Durham, NC |
North Carolina Central University School of Law | Public, 4 Year | Durham, NC |
Winston-Salem State University | Public, 4 Year | Winston-Salem, NC |
Barber-Scotia College | Private, 4 Year | Concord, NC |
Bennett College | Private, 4 Year | Greensboro, NC |
Johnson C. Smith University | Private, 4 Year | Charlotte, NC |
Livingstone College | Private, 4 Year | Salisbury, NC |
St. Augustine’s College | Private, 4 Year | Raleigh, NC |
Shaw University | Private, 4 Year | Raleigh, NC |
OHIO
School | Type | Location |
---|---|---|
Central State University | Public, 4 Year | Wilberforce, OH |
Wilberforce University | Private, 4 Year | Wilberforce, OH |
OKLAHOMA
School | Type | Location |
---|---|---|
Langston University | Public, 4 Year | Langston, OK |
PENNSYLVANIA
School | Type | Location |
---|---|---|
Cheyney University of Pennsylvania | Public, 4 Year | Cheyney, PA |
Lincoln University | Public, 4 Year | Lincoln University, PA |
SOUTH CAROLINA
School | Type | Location |
---|---|---|
South Carolina State University | Public, 4 Year | Orangeburg, SC |
Denmark Technical College | Public, 2 Year | Denmark, SC |
Allen University | Private, 4 Year | Columbia, SC |
Benedict College | Private, 4 Year | Columbia, SC |
Claflin University | Private, 4 Year | Orangeburg, SC |
Morris College | Private, 4 Year | Sumter, SC |
Voorhees College | Private, 4 Year | Denmark, SC |
Clinton Junior College | Private, 2 Year | Rock Hill, SC |
TENNESSEE
School | Type | Location |
---|---|---|
Tennessee State University | Public, 4 Year | Nashville, TN |
American Baptist College | Private, 4 Year | Nashville, TN |
Fisk University | Private, 4 Year | Nashville, TN |
Knoxville College | Private, 4 Year | Knoxville, TN |
Lane College | Private, 4 Year | Jackson, TN |
LeMoyne-Owen College | Private, 4 Year | Memphis, TN |
Meharry Medical College | Private, 4 Year | Nashville, TN |
TEXAS
School | Type | Location |
---|---|---|
Prairie View A&M University | Public, 4 Year | Prairie View, TX |
Texas Southern University | Public, 4 Year | Houston, TX |
Texas Southern University – Thurgood Marshall School of Law | Public, 4 Year | Houston, TX |
St. Philip’s College | Public, 2 Year | San Antonio, TX |
Huston-Tillotson University | Private, 4 Year | Austin, TX |
Jarvis Christian College | Private, 4 Year | Hawkins, TX |
Paul Quinn College | Private, 4 Year | Dallas, TX |
Southwestern Christian College | Private, 4 Year | Terrell, TX |
Texas College | Private, 4 Year | Tyler, TX |
Wiley College | Private, 4 Year | Marshall, TX |
VIRGINIA
School | Type | Location |
---|---|---|
Norfolk State University | Public, 4 Year | Norfolk, VA |
Virginia State University | Public, 4 Year | Petersburg, VA |
Hampton University | Private, 4 Year | Hampton, VA |
Virginia Union University | Private, 4 Year | Richmond, VA |
Virginia University of Lynchburg | Private, 4 Year | Lynchburg, VA |
WEST VIRGINIA
School | Type | Location |
---|---|---|
Bluefield State College | Public, 4 Year | Bluefield, WV |
West Virginia State University | Public, 4 Year | Institute, WV |
VIRGIN ISLANDS
School | Type | Location |
---|---|---|
University of the Virgin Islands (St. Thomas Campus) | Public, 4 Year | St. Thomas, V.I. |
University of the Virgin Islands (Albert A. Sheen Campus, St. Croix) | Public, 4 Year | Kingshill, V.I. |