HBCU Rankings 2016: Top 25 Schools from US News

In the fall of every year, U.S. News releases their Best Colleges Rankings that includes Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). The HBCUs that make the Best Colleges list are matched against one another in a separate HBCU rankings list. To be considered, the schools must be designated as part of the U.S. Department of Education Registry of Historically Black Colleges and Universities.

There are over 100 HBCUs in total and 80 of them were eligible for 2016 HBCU rankings. From this list of 80 schools, only 72 HBCUs made the cut. The remaining eight schools are unranked. Additionally, the qualifying schools must be an institution that primarily grants undergraduate baccalaureate degrees and primarily enrolls first year and first-time college students.

The ranking criteria includes many other factors including academic quality, the student body, faculty selection, financial resources and alumni giving to name a few. The 2016 rankings have a few shake-ups in the list compared to the 2015 HBCU Rankings. Notably, Morehouse College dropped a position within the top five and Hampton University moved up to take its place. Other changes include Florida A&M University dropping two positions while Claflin University and North Carolina A&T State University moved ahead of them.

Here are the HBCU Rankings 2016:

RANK	UNIVERSITY	LOCATION
25	Fayetteville State University*	Fayetteville, NC
25	Alabama A&M University*	Normal, AL
24	Bowie State University	Bowie, MD
23	Bethune-Cookman University	Daytona Beach, FL
21	Tennessee State University*	Nashville, TN
21	Delaware State University*	Dover, DE
19	Morgan State University*	Baltimore, MD
19	Clark Atlanta University*	Atlanta, GA
18	Elizabeth City State University	Elizabeth City, NC
17	Lincoln University	Lincoln University, PA
16	Johnson C. Smith University	Charlotte, NC
15	Bennett College	Greensboro, NC
14	Dillard University	New Orleans, LA
13	Jackson State University	Jackson, MS
12	North Carolina Central University	Durham, NC
11	Tougaloo College	Tougaloo, MS
10	Florida A&M University	Tallahassee, FL
9	North Carolina A&T State University	Greensboro, NC
8	Claflin University	Orangeburg, SC
7	Fisk University	Nashville, TN
6	Xavier University of Louisiana	New Orleans, LA
5	Tuskegee University	Tuskegee, AL
4	Morehouse College	Atlanta, GA
3	Hampton University	Hampton, VA
2	Howard University	Washington, DC
1	Spelman College	Atlanta, GA