HBCU

HBCU stands for Historically Black Colleges and Universities, a designation for U.S. colleges and universities established before 1964 with the primary mission of serving African American students who were barred from other institutions due to racial segregation. The term reflects a history rooted in the Reconstruction era and the broader struggle for equal access to higher education.

Many HBCUs were founded in the 19th and early 20th centuries by religious groups, philanthropists, and Black communities seeking educational opportunities denied elsewhere. The Morrill Act of 1890 and related policies reinforced the creation of racially segregated institutions in the South, contributing to the growth of HBCUs. Notable examples include Howard University, Spelman College, Morehouse College, Tuskegee University, Fisk University, Hampton University, and North Carolina A&T State University.

Today, there are roughly 100 HBCUs across public and private sectors. They enroll a substantial share of Black undergraduates and maintain strengths in fields such as science, technology, engineering, mathematics, education, nursing, business, and the arts. Spelman College and Morehouse College continue as prominent single-sex institutions within the broader HBCU landscape, while many others are coeducational. HBCUs have played a central role in civil rights history and in cultivating leadership across public life and academia.

U.S. policy supports HBCUs through federal programs and initiatives, including the White House Initiative on HBCUs and various Title III and related funding streams. Challenges include funding levels, facility modernization, and sustaining access and affordability. Despite these changes, HBCUs remain a major conduit for higher education and community development for Black students.