Howard University: A Legacy of Academic Excellence and Reputation

Howard University, founded in 1867, stands as a private, federally chartered historically Black research university in Washington, D.C. Comprised of 13 schools and colleges, Howard offers students the opportunity to pursue studies in more than 120 areas, leading to undergraduate, graduate, and professional degrees. To date, Howard has awarded more than 120,000 degrees in the arts, the sciences, and the humanities. The institution's commitment to academic rigor, social mobility, and groundbreaking research has solidified its reputation as a leading university, both nationally and globally.

Rankings and Recognition

Howard University consistently receives high rankings from reputable publications, affirming its status as a premier institution of higher education.

U.S. News & World Report

U.S. News & World Report consistently ranks Howard University highly. In the most recent U.S. News & World Report rankings, Howard was recognized as a top HBCU among national universities. The publication also ranked Howard as the No. 1 HBCU undergraduate program in business, computer science, economics, engineering, and psychology. The University’s business, engineering, and psychology programs are all in the top 100 among all national colleges and universities, with respective rankings of No. 77, No. 90. News & World Report also ranked Howard as the No. 12 university for social mobility, a measure of a person’s ability to expand their professional network and enhance their economic security. Howard is the only university in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area in the social mobility ranking’s top 40. These rankings reflect Howard's commitment to providing students with the tools and resources they need to succeed in their chosen fields and contribute to society.

Forbes and Other Publications

Howard has also earned recognition from Forbes as the No. 1 historically Black college or university in the nation. Fortune listed the University’s full-time MBA program among the country’s top 50. These accolades highlight Howard's strong academic programs, successful alumni, and commitment to providing a high-quality education.

During the same month, Princeton Review named Howard one of what it considers to be the best colleges in America.

Read also: Tuition and Fees at Howard

Academic Programs and Faculty

Howard University offers a wide range of academic programs across its 14 schools and colleges, including 140 undergraduate, graduate, and professional degree programs. The university is particularly renowned for its programs in STEM fields, including business, computer science, economics, engineering, and psychology. Howard is a leader in STEM fields.

Faculty Excellence

Students benefit from an "inspiring faculty" that both "pushes you and teaches patience." In addition, professors effectively "bridge the gap between the real world and the textbook," by teaching students how to apply their classroom knowledge to future careers. The majority of the faculty are "supportive and helpful" and "have a genuine interest in their subject." At Howard, classroom discussions are lively and highly encouraged. Howard faculty include member of Congress from Maryland Roscoe Bartlett, blood banking pioneer Charles Drew, Emmy-winning actor Al Freeman Jr., suffragist Elizabeth Piper Ensley, civil rights lawyer Charles Hamilton Houston, media entrepreneur Cathy Hughes, marine biologist Ernest Everett Just, professor of surgery LaSalle D. Leffall Jr., sociology professor Anaheed Al-Hardan, journalists Nikole Hannah-Jones and Ta-Nehisi Coates, political consultant Ron Walters, political activist Stacey Abrams, novelist and diplomat E. R.

Research and Innovation

Howard University has a strong commitment to research and innovation, with a focus on addressing global challenges and uplifting underrepresented communities.

Research One (R1) Classification

Howard University has achieved the coveted Research One (R1) classification from the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education, the first and only HBCU ever to do so. This classification signifies the highest level of research activity and doctoral production.

Research Centers and Initiatives

Howard’s reputation as the nexus of consequential research, intellectual exploration, and cultural influence has manifested in unprecedented investment. The Department of Defense provided Howard with a five-year, $90-million grant to create the first University Affiliated Research Center (UARC) at an HBCU. Earlier this year, Apple and other technology companies invested more than $1.4 million to create a one-of-a-kind microchip design and validation laboratory at Howard. Other research centers are providing leadership in areas including democracy and journalism, data science, cybersecurity, cancer, quantum information science, and entrepreneurship. Howard’s ongoing investments in infrastructure and strategic research initiatives further position its faculty and students at the forefront of groundbreaking discoveries.

Global Impact

Howard’s recognition as a leading global research university reflects its deepening influence in shaping solutions for the world’s most complex challenges. Howard’s 14 schools and colleges offer 140 undergraduate, graduate, and professional degree programs and lead the nation in awarding doctoral degrees to African American students. Howard scholars pursue knowledge that uplifts underrepresented communities and addresses global issues such as public health, environmental change, and the responsible use of data and emerging technologies to improve lives across the world.

Student Life and Culture

Howard University offers a vibrant and inclusive student life, with a strong emphasis on community, service, and leadership. Howard University truly is a unique institution with a historic mission that resonates with students and scholars from across the country and throughout the world," said Howard Provost and Chief Academic Officer Anthony Wutoh, Ph.D. "Our students are empowered to change the world and leave a lasting impact in various fields of study.

Student Body

Students at Howard are described as "friendly, outgoing, stylish, and fashionable” and note that they are uniquely socially conscious, something they attribute to the university’s focus on training students to think on a global scale. Howard students especially highlighted the sense of pride they have in joining the university’s long legacy, describing it as a “formidable force in producing African American intellectuals.” They also focused on how Howard professors prepare them to make real-world impacts outside of the classroom, saying that faculty “bridge the gap between the real world and the textbook.” Beyond academic and professional success, the Princeton Review also highlighted Howard’s lively and inclusive student social life.

Campus Activities and Traditions

The campus hosts a wide range of engaging events, including cookie decorating competitions, Karaoke Night, Game Night Mixers, and Entrepreneurship Fest (a showdown where students pitch their business ideas to industry experts and potential investors). Additionally, students are encouraged "to be involved in campus organizations and student government," and with hundreds of clubs to choose from, there's something for everyone. Fraternities and sororities are also popular at Howard, although you should dispel ideas of raging keg parties. Indeed, "the main focus of our Greek life is community service. Howard Homecoming week is the most prominent and richest cultural tradition of the institution. Over 100,000 of alumni, students, celebrity guests, and visitors are in attendance to patronize the many events and attractions affiliated with the festive week on and near campus. While the specific calendar of events changes from year to year, the traditional homecoming events include the Homecoming Football Game and Tailgate, Pep Rally, Coronation Ball, Greek Step-Show (Howard NPHC Greeks), and Fashion Show. Springfest is an annual tradition created by the Undergraduate Student Association (UGSA) to celebrate the arrival of spring.

Alumni Success

Howard University has a long and distinguished history of producing successful alumni who have made significant contributions to society.

Notable Alumni

Distinguished alumni of Howard University include a vice president of the United States, several United States diplomats and United States governors, a United States Ambassador to the United Nations, foreign royals, seven foreign heads of state, 11 members of United States Congress, a Supreme Court Justice, directors and executives of Fortune 500 companies, Academy Award- and Emmy Award-winning actors, Grammy Award-winning songwriters and producers, two US Army generals, a US Air Force general and Vice Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force, and Nobel laureates including Nobel Prize for Literature winner Toni Morrison. Additional alumni include civil rights activists and pioneers in the Civil Rights Movement, a United States Secretary of Health and Human Services, a United States Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, a United States Secretary of Agriculture, a United States Secretary of Veterans Affairs, a United States Secretary of the Army, a United States Deputy Secretary of Commerce, 12 Mayors of American cities, and three State Attorneys General.

Firsts and Honors

Howard University has also produced many firsts, including Roger Arliner Young who became the first African-American woman to receive a doctorate in zoology, Benjamin O. Davis Sr. the first African-American US Army general, Frederic E. Davison the first African-American US Army Major General and the first to command a US Army Infantry Division, Johnson O. Akinleye, 12th Chancellor of North Carolina Central University, Thurgood Marshall, the first African-American Supreme Court justice, and Edward W. Brooke III who became the first African-American elected to the US Senate, among others. Howard University also counts four Rhodes Scholarship winners, 22 Pickering Fellows, 11 Truman Scholars, over 70 Fulbright Scholars, a Schwarzman Scholar, a Goldwater Scholar, and two Pulitzer Prize winners and numerous other Pulitzer Prize nominees among its alumni.

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