As of 2026, there are more than 100 historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) in the United States, spread across 19 states, Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Counts differ by source: the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) recorded 99 HBCUs in 2022, the White House Initiative lists 105 accredited institutions, and the current list below covers 103 schools. This guide gives you the full list of HBCUs by state and in alphabetical order, explains what officially counts as an HBCU, and shows how public and private campuses differ so you can choose the right one.
What counts as an HBCU
An HBCU is defined by federal law, not by reputation or student body. Under the Higher Education Act of 1965, an HBCU is any Black college or university established before 1964 whose principal mission was, and remains, the education of Black Americans, and that is accredited by a nationally recognized accrediting agency. That definition sits in Title III of the Act, the section that also authorizes federal funding for these schools.
The founding-date rule is why the number is essentially fixed. A new college cannot become an HBCU today, because the designation requires that it existed before 1964. In 2022 the NCES counted 99 HBCUs; the U.S. Department of Education’s White House Initiative lists 105 accredited institutions, and tallies that include graduate-only schools or recently closed campuses reach 107. Most HBCUs sit in the Southern United States, where state laws required segregated education into the 1950s and 1960s.
Full list of HBCUs by state
Alabama has the most HBCUs, followed by North Carolina, then Georgia and Texas. The 103 current institutions below are grouped by state, with the count for each state in parentheses.
Alabama (14)
Alabama A&M University · Alabama State University · Bishop State Community College · Gadsden State Community College · J. F. Drake State Technical College · Lawson State Community College · Miles College · Oakwood University · Selma University · Shelton State Community College · Stillman College · Talladega College · Trenholm State Community College · Tuskegee University
Arkansas (4)
Arkansas Baptist College · Philander Smith University · Shorter College · University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff
Delaware (1)
Delaware State University
District of Columbia (2)
Howard University · University of the District of Columbia
Florida (4)
Bethune-Cookman University · Edward Waters University · Florida A&M University · Florida Memorial University
Georgia (9)
Albany State University · Clark Atlanta University · Fort Valley State University · Interdenominational Theological Center · Morehouse College · Morris Brown College · Paine College · Savannah State University · Spelman College
Kentucky (2)
Kentucky State University · Simmons College of Kentucky
Louisiana (6)
Dillard University · Grambling State University · Southern University and A&M College · Southern University at New Orleans · Southern University at Shreveport · Xavier University of Louisiana
Maryland (4)
Bowie State University · Coppin State University · Morgan State University · University of Maryland Eastern Shore
Mississippi (7)
Alcorn State University · Coahoma Community College · Hinds Community College at Utica · Jackson State University · Mississippi Valley State University · Rust College · Tougaloo College
Missouri (2)
Harris-Stowe State University · Lincoln University (Missouri)
North Carolina (11)
Barber-Scotia College · Bennett College · Elizabeth City State University · Fayetteville State University · Johnson C. Smith University · Livingstone College · North Carolina Agricultural & Technical State University · North Carolina Central University · Shaw University · St. Augustine’s University · Winston-Salem State University
Ohio (2)
Central State University · Wilberforce University
Oklahoma (1)
Langston University
Pennsylvania (2)
Cheyney University of Pennsylvania · Lincoln University (Pennsylvania)
South Carolina (8)
Allen University · Benedict College · Claflin University · Clinton College · Denmark Technical College · Morris College · South Carolina State University · Voorhees University
Tennessee (7)
American Baptist College · Fisk University · Knoxville College · Lane College · LeMoyne-Owen College · Meharry Medical College · Tennessee State University
Texas (9)
Huston-Tillotson University · Jarvis Christian University · Paul Quinn College · Prairie View A&M University · Southwestern Christian College · St. Philip’s College · Texas College · Texas Southern University · Wiley University
United States Virgin Islands (1)
University of the Virgin Islands
Virginia (5)
Hampton University · Norfolk State University · Virginia State University · Virginia Union University · Virginia University of Lynchburg
West Virginia (2)
Bluefield State University · West Virginia State University
HBCUs in alphabetical order
The table lists every current HBCU alphabetically with its state, control (public or private), and founding year. Cheyney University of Pennsylvania, founded in 1837, is the oldest; several community and technical colleges were designated in the mid-20th century.
| Institution | State | Type | Founded |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama A&M University | Alabama | Public | 1875 |
| Alabama State University | Alabama | Public | 1867 |
| Albany State University | Georgia | Public | 1903 |
| Alcorn State University | Mississippi | Public | 1871 |
| Allen University | South Carolina | Private | 1870 |
| American Baptist College | Tennessee | Private | 1924 |
| Arkansas Baptist College | Arkansas | Private | 1884 |
| Barber-Scotia College | North Carolina | Private | 1867 |
| Benedict College | South Carolina | Private | 1870 |
| Bennett College | North Carolina | Private | 1873 |
| Bethune-Cookman University | Florida | Private | 1904 |
| Bishop State Community College | Alabama | Public | 1927 |
| Bluefield State University | West Virginia | Public | 1895 |
| Bowie State University | Maryland | Public | 1865 |
| Central State University | Ohio | Public | 1887 |
| Cheyney University of Pennsylvania | Pennsylvania | Public | 1837 |
| Claflin University | South Carolina | Private | 1869 |
| Clark Atlanta University | Georgia | Private | 1865 |
| Clinton College | South Carolina | Private | 1894 |
| Coahoma Community College | Mississippi | Public | 1924 |
| Coppin State University | Maryland | Public | 1900 |
| Delaware State University | Delaware | Public | 1891 |
| Denmark Technical College | South Carolina | Public | 1947 |
| Dillard University | Louisiana | Private | 1869 |
| Edward Waters University | Florida | Private | 1866 |
| Elizabeth City State University | North Carolina | Public | 1891 |
| Fayetteville State University | North Carolina | Public | 1867 |
| Fisk University | Tennessee | Private | 1866 |
| Florida A&M University | Florida | Public | 1887 |
| Florida Memorial University | Florida | Private | 1879 |
| Fort Valley State University | Georgia | Public | 1895 |
| Gadsden State Community College | Alabama | Public | 1925 |
| Grambling State University | Louisiana | Public | 1901 |
| Hampton University | Virginia | Private | 1868 |
| Harris-Stowe State University | Missouri | Public | 1857 |
| Hinds Community College at Utica | Mississippi | Public | 1903 |
| Howard University | District of Columbia | Private | 1867 |
| Huston-Tillotson University | Texas | Private | 1875 |
| Interdenominational Theological Center | Georgia | Private | 1958 |
| J. F. Drake State Technical College | Alabama | Public | 1961 |
| Jackson State University | Mississippi | Public | 1877 |
| Jarvis Christian University | Texas | Private | 1912 |
| Johnson C. Smith University | North Carolina | Private | 1867 |
| Kentucky State University | Kentucky | Public | 1886 |
| Knoxville College | Tennessee | Private | 1875 |
| Lane College | Tennessee | Private | 1882 |
| Langston University | Oklahoma | Public | 1897 |
| Lawson State Community College | Alabama | Public | 1949 |
| LeMoyne-Owen College | Tennessee | Private | 1862 |
| Lincoln University (Missouri) | Missouri | Public | 1866 |
| Lincoln University (Pennsylvania) | Pennsylvania | Public | 1854 |
| Livingstone College | North Carolina | Private | 1879 |
| Meharry Medical College | Tennessee | Private | 1876 |
| Miles College | Alabama | Private | 1898 |
| Mississippi Valley State University | Mississippi | Public | 1950 |
| Morehouse College | Georgia | Private | 1867 |
| Morgan State University | Maryland | Public | 1867 |
| Morris Brown College | Georgia | Private | 1881 |
| Morris College | South Carolina | Private | 1908 |
| Norfolk State University | Virginia | Public | 1935 |
| North Carolina Agricultural & Technical State University | North Carolina | Public | 1891 |
| North Carolina Central University | North Carolina | Public | 1910 |
| Oakwood University | Alabama | Private | 1896 |
| Paine College | Georgia | Private | 1882 |
| Paul Quinn College | Texas | Private | 1872 |
| Philander Smith University | Arkansas | Private | 1877 |
| Prairie View A&M University | Texas | Public | 1876 |
| Rust College | Mississippi | Private | 1866 |
| Savannah State University | Georgia | Public | 1890 |
| Selma University | Alabama | Private | 1878 |
| Shaw University | North Carolina | Private | 1865 |
| Shelton State Community College | Alabama | Public | 1952 |
| Shorter College | Arkansas | Private | 1886 |
| Simmons College of Kentucky | Kentucky | Private | 1869 |
| South Carolina State University | South Carolina | Public | 1896 |
| Southern University and A&M College | Louisiana | Public | 1880 |
| Southern University at New Orleans | Louisiana | Public | 1956 |
| Southern University at Shreveport | Louisiana | Public | 1967 |
| Southwestern Christian College | Texas | Private | 1948 |
| Spelman College | Georgia | Private | 1881 |
| St. Augustine’s University | North Carolina | Private | 1867 |
| St. Philip’s College | Texas | Public | 1898 |
| Stillman College | Alabama | Private | 1876 |
| Talladega College | Alabama | Private | 1867 |
| Tennessee State University | Tennessee | Public | 1912 |
| Texas College | Texas | Private | 1894 |
| Texas Southern University | Texas | Public | 1927 |
| Tougaloo College | Mississippi | Private | 1869 |
| Trenholm State Community College | Alabama | Public | 1947 |
| Tuskegee University | Alabama | Private | 1881 |
| University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff | Arkansas | Public | 1873 |
| University of Maryland Eastern Shore | Maryland | Public | 1886 |
| University of the District of Columbia | District of Columbia | Public | 1851 |
| University of the Virgin Islands | United States Virgin Islands | Public | 1962 |
| Virginia State University | Virginia | Public | 1882 |
| Virginia Union University | Virginia | Private | 1865 |
| Virginia University of Lynchburg | Virginia | Private | 1886 |
| Voorhees University | South Carolina | Private | 1897 |
| West Virginia State University | West Virginia | Public | 1891 |
| Wilberforce University | Ohio | Private | 1856 |
| Wiley University | Texas | Private | 1873 |
| Winston-Salem State University | North Carolina | Public | 1892 |
| Xavier University of Louisiana | Louisiana | Private | 1915 |
Largest and best-known HBCUs
HBCUs enrolled about 289,000 students in 2022, down from a peak of roughly 327,000 in 2010, according to NCES. Enrollment concentrates at the public four-year universities: 88 percent of HBCU students attend four-year schools, and 77 percent attend public institutions. The largest campuses are therefore the state-supported universities rather than the smaller private colleges.
By academic reputation, U.S. News & World Report’s Best HBCU rankings consistently place a familiar group at the top:
- Spelman College (Atlanta, Georgia) and Morehouse College (Atlanta), the private liberal-arts colleges for women and men respectively
- Howard University (Washington, D.C.), the largest and most research-intensive private HBCU
- Tuskegee University (Alabama), a private university, and Florida A&M University (Tallahassee), a large public university
Hampton University in Virginia and North Carolina A&T State University in Greensboro are two more widely recognized names on the list. Exact per-campus enrollment for any school is published by the Department of Education’s College Navigator tool.
Public vs private HBCUs
The list splits almost evenly between the two types. NCES counted 50 public and 49 private nonprofit HBCUs in 2022, and the current list of 103 shows a similar balance. The difference matters for cost, size, and funding.
Public HBCUs are state-funded universities, often land-grant institutions such as North Carolina A&T, Florida A&M, Prairie View A&M, and Southern University. They tend to be larger, cost less for in-state students, and offer a wider range of degree programs. Private HBCUs such as Spelman, Morehouse, Howard, Fisk, and Xavier University of Louisiana are typically smaller, rely on tuition and donations, and many belong to the United Negro College Fund (UNCF), the scholarship organization that supports private Black colleges. About 90 percent of HBCU undergraduates receive some form of financial aid, which narrows the sticker-price gap between the two types.
How to choose an HBCU
The right HBCU depends on what you want from college rather than on any single ranking. A few factors separate the options:
- Public or private: public schools usually cost less in-state and enroll more students; private schools are smaller and often more selective.
- Location: use the by-state list above to weigh distance from home, climate, and whether you want an urban campus like Howard or Clark Atlanta or a smaller-town setting.
- Academic programs: some HBCUs specialize, including the medical schools Meharry Medical College and Morehouse School of Medicine and the many land-grant public universities with agriculture and engineering programs.
- Rankings and outcomes: compare the U.S. News and Niche HBCU lists, which use different methods, alongside graduation and financial-aid data.
- Campus culture: homecoming, marching bands, and Greek life shape day-to-day life at many HBCUs and vary widely from school to school.
Greek life and the Divine Nine at HBCUs
Greek life is one of the defining features of HBCU culture, and it is the reason many students first look at these schools. The nine historically Black fraternities and sororities that make up the Divine Nine, governed by the National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC), were founded or grew at HBCUs, and their chapters remain central to campus life, homecoming, and yard traditions. If Greek life is a priority, it is worth comparing the best HBCUs for Greek life and reading up on HBCU yard culture before you apply.
FAQs
What is the No. 1 HBCU in America?
U.S. News & World Report’s Best HBCU rankings place Spelman College and Howard University at the top, with Spelman frequently ranked first. Rankings shift year to year and use different methods, so the leaders vary slightly across lists.
What are the top 25 HBCUs?
U.S. News publishes an annual Best HBCU ranking of the eligible schools. Its top tier consistently includes Spelman, Howard, Morehouse, Tuskegee, and Florida A&M, with the full top 25 available in the U.S. News report.
What are the 5 largest HBCUs by enrollment?
The largest HBCUs are big public universities rather than the smaller private colleges. HBCUs enrolled about 289,000 students in total in 2022, with 77 percent at public institutions and 88 percent at four-year schools; current per-campus enrollment for every HBCU is listed in the Department of Education’s College Navigator.
What are the hardest HBCUs to get into?
The most selective HBCUs are generally the top-ranked private schools, led by Spelman College and Howard University. Admissions selectivity data for each school is published through College Navigator and the schools’ own admissions pages.
Wherever you land, an HBCU is a community as much as a campus. If you are already repping your school or your letters, browse our custom Greek and HBCU apparel to wear that pride your way.
