Little Known HBCU Facts

HBCU Facts

HBCUs enroll upwards of 370,000 students and graduate a significant share of all African Americans receiving degrees. While comprising only three percent of the nation's 3,688 institutions of higher learning, the 105 HBCUs are responsible for producing approximately 23 percent of all bachelor's degrees, 13 percent of all master's degrees, and 20 percent of all first professional degrees earned by African Americans annually. Black colleges and universities contribute to the continuing rise of black intellectuals, professionals, and creative artists which is so evident throughout American society.

The following facts demonstrate the many successes of HBCUs:

Nine of the top ten colleges that graduate most of the African American students who go on to earn Ph.D.s are HBCUs.


More than 50 percent of the nation's African American public school teachers and 70 percent of African American dentists and physicians earned degrees at HBCUs.


Over half of all African American professionals are graduates of HBCUs


In 2000, Xavier University in New Orleans individually produced more successful African American medical school applicants (94) than Johns Hopkins (20), Harvard (37), and the University of Maryland (24) combined. Two other HBCUs also placed in the top ten producers of medical school applicants, including Morehouse (33), and Spelman (38).


Spelman and Bennett Colleges produce over half of the nation's African American women who go on to earn doctorates in all science fields; more than produced by the Ivy League's Seven Sisters combined (Barnard, Bryn Mawr, Mount Holyoke, Radcliffe, Smith, Wellesley, and Vassar Colleges).


HBCUs significantly contribute to the creation of African American science degree holders: agriculture (51.6 percent), biology (42.2 percent), computer science (35 percent), physical science (43 percent), and social science (23.2 percent).


HBCUs produce 44 percent of all African American bachelor's degrees awarded for communications technology, 33 percent of bachelor's degrees awarded for engineering technology, and 43 percent of bachelor's degrees awarded for mathematics, and


HBCUs produce 40 percent of all African American doctorate degrees awarded for Communications.





The following HBCU facts and information was posted on the UNCF website

HBCU graduates are experts in their chosen field.

Over half of all African American professionals are graduates of HBCUs.

Nine of the top ten colleges that graduate the most African Americans who go on to earn Ph.D.s are HBCU graduates.

More than 50% of the nation’s African American public school teachers and 70% of African American dentists earned degrees at HBCUs.

UNCF members Spelman College and Bennett College produce over half of the nation’s African American female doctorates in all science fields.

Excellent Institutions

As ranked by Black Enterprise in 2003, seven of the top ten “ Top Colleges and Universities for African Americans,” including the top six, were HBCUs.

HBCU Xavier University is #1 nationally in placing African-Americans into medical school.

The first Time Magazine/ Princeton Review College of the Year, Florida A&M University , is an HBCU. It is the #1 producer of African Americans with baccalaureate degrees.

Tuskeegee University is the only college ever to be designated a national historic site by the U.S. Congress.

The June 3, 2004 issue of Black Issues in Higher Education shows how HBCUs dominate the upper echelon in terms of numbers of African American graduates per school for the 2002-2003 academic year. The article also reported the following facts

Seven of the top eight producers of African-American baccalaureates overall were HBCUs, including #1 Florida A&M University and #2 Howard University .

Eight of the top eleven producers of African American baccalaureates in agriculture, agriculture operations and related sciences were HBCUs, including #1 Tennessee State University and #3 Tuskegee University .

Sixteen of the top 21 producers of African American baccalaureates in biological and biomedical sciences were HBCUs, including the entire top six (Xavier University of LA (#1), Hampton University (#2), Howard University (#3), Morgan State University (#4), Jackson State University (#5) and Tennessee State University (#6).

Six of the top ten producers of African American baccalaureates in education were HBCUs, including #1 Alabama State University .

Seven of the top eleven producers of African American baccalaureates in engineering were HBCUs, including #1 North Carolina A&T State University .

The top three producers of African American baccalaureates in health professions (#1 Southern University and A&M College , #2 Florida A&M University and #3 Howard University ) were HBCUs.

Eight of the top nine producers of African American baccalaureates in mathematics and statistics were HBCUs: #1 Morehouse College, #2 South Carolina State University #3 Alabama State University, #3 Spelman College, #5Southern University and A&M College, #6 Tennessee State Unversity, #7 Hampton University and #9 Howard University.

The twelve top producers of African American baccalaureates in the physical sciences, including #1 Xavier University of Louisiana , were all HBCUs.

Three of the top five producers of African American baccalaureates in psychology were HBCUs: #1 Florida A&M University , #3 Hampton University and #5 Howard University .

Remarkable Accomplishments

Grambling University Coach Eddie Robinson was named the college football coach with the most wins.

Almost half of the members of the Congressional Black Caucus attended an HBCU.

Source: http://thinkhbcu.org/hbcu_facts.htm