The first Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) were founded in Pennsylvania and Ohio before the American Civil War (1861–65) to provide black youths—who were primarily prevented, due to racial discrimination, from attending established colleges and universities—with primary education and training to become teachers or tradespeople. The Institute for Colored Youth (briefly the African Institute at its founding) opened on a farm outside Philadelphia in 1837. It is today Cheyney University of Pennsylvania, which is part of the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education. The Ashmun Institute, located near Philadelphia, provided theological training and primary education from its founding in 1854. It became Lincoln University in 1866 in honor of U.S. Pres. Abraham Lincoln and was private until 1972 (Britannica, 2021).

The first Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) were founded in Pennsylvania and Ohio before the American Civil War (1861–65) to provide black youths—who were primarily prevented, due to racial discrimination, from attending established colleges and universities—with primary education and training to become teachers or tradespeople. The Institute for Colored Youth (briefly the African Institute at its founding) opened on a farm outside Philadelphia in 1837. It is today Cheyney University of Pennsylvania, which is part of the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education. The Ashmun Institute, located near Philadelphia, provided theological training and primary education from its founding in 1854. It became Lincoln University in 1866 in honor of U.S. Pres. Abraham Lincoln and was private until 1972 (Britannica, 2021).

Howard University is a private research university comprised of 13 schools and colleges. Students pursue studies in more than 140 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, and more on-campus African-American Ph.D. recipients than any other university in the United States. The historic main campus sits on a hilltop in Northwest Washington blocks from the storied U Street and Howard Theatre. We are two miles from the U.S. Capitol, where many students intern and scores of alumni shape national and foreign policy.

Founded in 1881 as the Atlanta Baptist Female Seminary, the college became Spelman College in 1924. Now a global leader in the education of women of African descent, Spelman is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC), and proud members of the Atlanta University Center Consortium.

Today, the student body comprises more than 2,100 students from 43 states and 10 foreign countries. Spelman empowers women to engage the world's many cultures and inspires a commitment to positive social change through service. Spelman is dedicated to academic excellence in the liberal arts and sciences and the intellectual, creative, ethical and leadership development of all students.

Tuskegee University is an independent and state-related institution of higher education. Its programs serve a student body that is coeducational as well as racially, ethnically, and religiously diverse. With a strong orientation toward disciplines that highlight the relationship between education and workforce preparation in the sciences, professions, and technical areas, Tuskegee University also emphasizes the importance of the liberal arts as a foundation for successful careers in all areas. Accordingly, all academic majors stress the mastery of a required core of liberal arts courses.

Tuskegee University is located in Tuskegee, Alabama, 40 miles east of the Alabama State Capitol in Montgomery, Alabama, and 20 miles west of the city of Auburn, Alabama. It is also within easy driving distance to the cities of Birmingham, Alabama, and Atlanta, Georgia.

Morehouse College has been producing extraordinary leaders, visionaries, and pillars of the community. Since our humble beginnings in a church basement in 1867, we’ve established a legacy of excellence that continues to strengthen with each passing year. Famous graduates like Martin Luther King Jr and Spike Lee are joined by five Rhodes scholars as well as congressmen, business titans, college presidents, and many more who proudly represent the Morehouse ideals. Explore our interactive timeline to discover the Morehouse story.

Morehouse has a story like no other. Explore the moments and men who have transformed our college and the world through their leadership.

As the nation's largest historically black university by enrollment, what distinguishes Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University from other universities is its legacy of providing access to high-quality, affordable education to many students who otherwise may never have the opportunity to fulfill their dreams of getting a college degree. 

Students seeking a challenging academic foundation will find a variety of programs to meet their career objectives at Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University. The University offers 54 bachelor's degrees, 29 master's degrees, three professional degrees, and 12 doctoral programs in a wide range of academic areas.