The Enduring Legacy: Exploring Historically Black Colleges and Universities

Historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) have served as vital institutions for African Americans, providing pathways to upward mobility and academic achievement for over 180 years. These institutions, born out of necessity in a segregated America, continue to play a crucial role in shaping the Black middle class and fostering social change.

The Origins of HBCUs: A Response to Exclusion

The establishment of HBCUs dates back to before the Civil War, when racial discrimination severely limited educational opportunities for Black Americans. The Institute for Colored Youth, founded in 1837 by Richard Humphreys, a Quaker, stands as the oldest HBCU in the nation. Now known as Cheyney University, its original mission was to provide free African Americans with primary education and training to become teachers or tradespeople. The Ashmun Institute, later renamed Lincoln University, followed in 1854, offering theological training and basic education.

During the 1850s, Miner Normal School (1851) in Washington, D.C., and Wilberforce University (1856) in Ohio were also founded. Wilberforce, established by the African Methodist Episcopal Church, holds the distinction of being the first HBCU operated by African Americans.

The vast majority of HBCUs were established between 1865 and 1900, largely due to the efforts of the Freedmen's Bureau. The year 1867 saw the establishment of numerous HBCUs, including Alabama State University, Barber-Scotia College, Fayetteville State University, Howard University, Johnson C. Smith University, Morehouse College, Morgan State University, Saint Augustine's University, and Talladega College.

Congress officially defined an HBCU in Title III of the Higher Education Act of 1965 as an accredited institution established before 1964 with the primary mission of providing education to Black Americans.

HBCUs: Engines of Upward Mobility

HBCUs have served as "engines of upward mobility" for students who, due to systemic racism and discrimination, had limited access to other higher education options. Despite representing only 3% of colleges and universities, HBCUs have played a massive role in the cultivation of the Black middle class, producing a significant percentage of Black professionals.

HBCU alumni include Thurgood Marshall, the first Black Supreme Court Justice, who attended Lincoln University and Howard University Law School, and Vice President Kamala Harris, a Howard University graduate, who was the first HBCU grad to be elected Vice President and is now the first to lead a major party ticket for the presidential election. The long list of successful HBCU alumni also includes writers Langston Hughes, Zora Neale Hurston, and Toni Morrison, NFL hall of famer Jerry Rice, billionaire Oprah Winfrey, and the Tuskegee Airmen.

HBCUs: Centers of Social Change and Activism

HBCUs have played a pivotal role in "producing social movements and reshaping the contours of American democracy." From their earliest days, HBCUs trained and empowered future leaders to "transform their respective communities through the embrace of race consciousness that refuted white supremacy and the adoption of cultural nationalist impulses." This fostered a generation of Black leaders "who used talents honed in these crucial spaces to champion the causes of Black liberation."

During the Jim Crow era, HBCUs became "epicenters" of the growing dissent within the Black community. HBCU students and alumni, such as Ella Baker and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., played a significant role in mobilizing the Civil Rights Movement. They also "birthed one of the most important civil rights organizations in American history," the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee.

HBCUs in the 21st Century: A Resurgence

Despite the desegregation of the school system, interest in HBCUs has recently spiked. Some HBCUs, like Baltimore's Morgan State University, reported up to a 30% increase in applications between 2018 and 2021. The trend has continued over the past few admissions cycles. Howard University saw a 12% increase in applications for their incoming freshman class this year, receiving 37,000 applications for only 2,500 seats, according to Forbes. Likewise, applications to Florida A&M University (FAMU) have nearly doubled in the last two years. This is a sharp turnaround from a decade ago when the share of Black college students attending HBCUs fell to a low of 8%.

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Applications to HBCUs first jumped in the wake of the May 2020 death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police. The Supreme Court's June 2023 decision to dismantle affirmative action and the "rapid dismantling of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) policies at state universities in 23 states appear to be giving HBCUs a further boost." The surge in interest can also be attributed to heightened media attention and backing from celebrity donors.

An uptick in funding from both billionaire donors and the government has accompanied the rising enrollment. In January, billionaire Ronda Stryker and her husband William Johnston donated $100 million to Spelman University in Atlanta, which the school described as the single largest donation ever to an individual HBCU. Regarding federal aid, the Biden Administration said it invested a record $16 billion in HBCUs between the 2021 and 2024 fiscal years, including $4 billion in Covid relief legislation and $4 billion in financial aid for HBCU students who qualify for Pell Grants.

The Unique Cultural and Educational Experience

In a climate where racial politics seem to clash with academics, there is a "growing recognition of the unique cultural and educational experience that HBCUs offer." HBCUs provide a supportive and empowering environment where Black students can thrive academically, socially, and culturally.

HBCU Week: Celebrating History, Innovation, and Culture

HBCU Week provides an expansive look into programs, conversations with presidents and students, as well as a sneak-peek into what the week’s programming will bring. It offers films about the under-told stories of sacrifice, courage, innovation, and hope found in the archives of these important American institutions. Expanded themes beyond history and education to include films on HBCU contributions to the arts, music, and sports.

HBCU Facts and Statistics

HBCUs enroll nearly one-tenth of all Black college students across over 100 institutions in the United States.

Enrollment Trends

In 2022, 343,682 students were enrolled in HBCUs. Between 1976 and 2022, enrollment at HBCUs increased by more than 54%. HBCU enrollment peaked in 2022, rising nearly 20% from the year prior. In 2020, HBCU enrollment was at its lowest point in the last 10 years, at 279,157 students. Despite dropping in 2020, undergraduate enrollment at HBCUs increased by 0.8% between fall 2020 and fall 2022.

As of 2022, Black students accounted for roughly 76% of all enrolled HBCU students. Over the last 10 years, the percentage of Black HBCU students has decreased by five percentage points while the percentage of non-Black HBCU students has increased by five percentage points. Black student enrollment at HBCUs peaked in 2010 when 265,908 Black students were enrolled. Non-Black enrollment at HBCUs peaked in 2022 when 101,644 non-Black students were enrolled.

Female enrollment at HBCUs has surpassed male enrollment every year since 1976. As of 2022, female students accounted for 63% of HBCU learners.

The majority of HBCUs are private four-year institutions, but public four-year HBCUs enroll the largest number of students. Since 1976, learners enrolled at public four-year HBCUs accounted for approximately 65% of all HBCU students. During the same period, learners enrolled at private four-year HBCUs accounted for about 25% of all HBCU students.

The Importance of HBCUs

HBCUs help facilitate larger socioeconomic gains for their Black alumni than non-HBCUs. This is because they enroll a larger percentage of low-income Black students, granting them more opportunities to move up the socioeconomic ladder. HBCU graduates working full time throughout their careers can expect to earn 56% more in additional income than students who attended non-HBCUs. Today, 40% of all Black engineers, 50% of all Black lawyers, 70% of all Black doctors, and 80% of all Black judges are HBCU alumni.

Cost and Financial Aid

During the 2023-2024 academic year, the average total cost of attendance for on-campus students at HBCUs ranged from $27,610-$31,452. Average tuition and fees were $12,007 for in-state students and $15,878 for out-of-state students.

During the 2021-2022 academic year, the total amount of grant aid awarded to HBCU students at 100 institutions was $551 million. On average, 85% of undergraduate HBCU students were awarded federal, state, local, or institutional grant aid during the 2021-2022 academic year.

Funding

In 2021-2022, funds from federal, state, and local governments accounted for 57% of HBCUs’ total $10.7 billion revenue. Under federal law, 18 HBCUs are considered land-grant institutions, entitling them to receive the same funding per student as all other land-grant institutions.

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