Alabama State University’s 153-year history is a legacy of perseverance, progress and promise. The ASU movement began with the impetus to establish a school for black Alabamians. The Civil War resulted in not only the end of slavery, but also in the opportunity for blacks to have the right to education. With the Northern victory, black Southerners, with the assistance of Northern white missionaries and the leaders of African-American churches, set out to establish educational institutions for the freedmen. ASU was born in that movement. ASU is the global entity it is today because of the fortitude of nine freed slaves from Marion, Ala., who sought to build a school for African-Americans previously denied the right to an education. The foresight of these men, now remembered as the “Marion Nine,” created what is now known as Alabama State University. The Marion Nine included Joey P. Pinch, Thomas Speed, Nicholas Dale, James Childs, Thomas Lee, John Freeman, Nathan Levert, David Harris and Alexander H. Curtis. These co-founders and original trustees, with assistance from Marion community members, raised $500 for land, and on July 18, 1867, filed incorporation papers to establish the Lincoln Normal School at Marion. The Lincoln School opened its doors on November 13, 1867, with 113 students. In 1873, this predecessor of Alabama State University became the nation’s first state-sponsored liberal arts institution for the higher education of blacks, beginning ASU’s rich history as a “Teacher’s College. ASU offers nearly 50 degrees, including high-demand programs in science and technology.  Our faculty members are experts in the classroom and their chosen fields. Our tuition is reasonable, and our student-to-faculty ratio (is 18:1).  Furthermore, our campus is safe. We are looking for students ready to challenge themselves -- to be who they are and work to become whom they want to be.  We want students who are not afraid to take risks and looking to make a difference by giving back to the local and global community.  If you are ready to make your dreams for the future a reality, we are ready to help. High school seniors, below are the requirements and deadlines for applying to Alabama State University.  If you are not a high school senior, check out the admissions pages for GED Applicants, Transfer Students, or International Students.

In 1873, Bennett College had its beginning in the unplastered basement of the Warnersville Methodist Episcopal Church (now known as St. Matthews United Methodist Church). Seventy young men and women started elementary and secondary level studies. In 1874 the Freedmen’s Aid Society took over the school which remained under its auspices for 50 years. Within five years of 1873, a group of emancipated slaves purchased the present site for the school. College level courses and permanent facilities were added. In 1926, The Women’s Home Missionary Society joined with the Board of Education of the church to make Bennett College in Greensboro, N.C., formerly co-educational, a college for women. The challenges that were overcome to establish Bennett demand that today’s challenges be met and overcome to ensure her survival. For nearly 150 years women have found Bennett to be the ideal place to foster the constant rhythm of ideas. Each student’s individual need for self-expression and desire for achievement is constantly nurtured. The College fosters a strong respect for every student. Today, in the midst of a very active renaissance, Bennett is preparing contemporary women to be well educated, productive professionals, informed, participating citizens, and enlightened parents. The College offers twenty-four areas of study in Education, the Social Sciences, the Humanities, and in Natural and Behavioral Sciences and Mathematics. Numerous opportunities to study at other higher education institutions at home and abroad are available to continue the educational enrichment of Bennett’s students. From its founding in the basement of a Methodist Church, Bennett College remains affiliated with the United Methodist Church. The goals of the College continue to focus on the intellectual, spiritual and cultural growth of young women who must be prepared for lifelong learning and leadership. Since 1930 more than 5,000 women have graduated from Bennett College. Known as Bennett Belles, they continue to be among contributing women of achievement in all walks of life. At Bennett, you are not just a student ID number, you are a woman we invest in and support as you navigate higher education and prepare for your career. Here, you will be personally welcomed by the College President on your first day, be taught by experienced faculty who get to know you and your learning style, engage with staff who link you to our many resources, and bond with other women of color working to become phenomenal scholars and global leaders. Bennett empowers you to lead, create your own path, gain life experience and become the woman you are meant to be.

Founded in 1865, Bowie State is the oldest Historically Black College/University in Maryland and one of the ten oldest in the country. It is also a diverse university whose students, along with faculty and staff, represent many ethnic and cultural backgrounds.

Bowie State University provides high-quality and affordable educational opportunities for students with ambitions to achieve and succeed. In addition to its 23 undergraduate majors, Bowie State offers 19 master's degree programs, 14 specialty certificates and two doctoral programs with specific focus on science, technology, business, education and related disciplines. A supportive academic environment empowers students to think critically, make new discoveries, value differences and emerge as leaders in a highly technical, rapidly changing global society.

Bowie State’s Center for Natural Sciences, Mathematics and Nursing includes research and instructional laboratories, flexible classrooms, a nursing simulation wing and a fully enclosed greenhouse. Bowie State is also home to an all-Steinway Fine and Performing Arts Center, equipped with the latest technologies for digital media arts and music production.

`As a member institution of the University System of Maryland, Bowie State upholds the system’s mission of providing high-caliber, accessible, and affordable educational opportunities. 

Bowie State is in the midst of one of the nation's most exciting metropolitan areas, within easy reach of Washington, DC, and Baltimore. At the same time, it boasts a serene campus on a 300-acre suburban wooded tract. With seven residence halls, the University is a hub of 24/7 undergraduate life, yet it also offers convenient evening classes and online courses to serve employed professionals seeking to move ahead in their careers.

First known as the African Institute, the school was soon renamed the Institute for Colored Youth. In its early years, it provided training in trades and agriculture, which were the predominant skills needed in the general economy.

In 1902, the Institute was relocated to George Cheyney’s farm, a 275-acre property just 25 miles west of Philadelphia. The name “Cheyney” became associated with the school in 1913, though the school’s official name changed several times during the 20th century. As a charter member of the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (PASSHE), Cheyney State College became Cheyney University of Pennsylvania in 1983, the oldest of the fourteen member institutions and the only HBCU in the state system.

While Cheyney University has a rich heritage as the first institution of higher learning for African Americans, our campus today welcomes students from a variety of races, cultures, and nationalities, all of whom receive educational instruction far beyond the vision of Richard Humphreys. Cheyney graduates still become teachers, but our alumni also enter careers such as journalism, medicine, business, science/technology, law, communications, and government service. The University offers baccalaureate degrees in an array of disciplines, and many graduates go on to secure advanced degrees in a variety of fields.

The academic curriculum at Cheyney University retains its foundation in the liberal arts, along with select professional studies programs. Our degree programs are divided into two academic schools: the School of Arts and Sciences and the School of Education and Professional Studies.

Clark Atlanta University was formed with the consolidation of Atlanta University and Clark College, both of which hold unique places in the annals of African-American history. Atlanta University, established in 1865 by the American Missionary Association, was the nation’s first institution to award graduate degrees to African-Americans. Clark College, established four years later in 1869, was the nation’s first four-year liberal arts college to serve a primarily African-American student population. Today, with over 4,000 students, CAU is the largest of the four institutions (CAU, Morehouse College, Spelman College and Morehouse School of Medicine) that comprise the Atlanta University Center Consortium. It is also the largest of the 37-member UNCF institutions.

University Mission Statement- Building on its social justice history and heritage, Clark Atlanta University is a culturally diverse, research-intensive, liberal arts institution that prepares and transforms the lives of students. CAU is located in the heart of Atlanta which is the epicenter of the Civil Rights Movement and modern center of emerging technologies and innovation. Ignited by its history, CAU is committed to delivering education that is accessible, relevant, and transformative.

University Vision Statement- Clark Atlanta University will be recognized internationally as a leading research institution of higher education and learning. The University will impact society through global innovation, transformative educational experiences, and high-value engagement.

University Cultural Creed- Clark Atlanta University is committed to academic excellence, building character and service to others. The University will achieve its mission by cultivating an environment of honesty, kindness, mutual respect, self-discipline, school loyalty, trust, academic integrity and communal pride. As a member of this scholarly community, I make the following pledge:

• I will work to promote academic honesty and integrity;

• I will work to cultivate a learning environment which opposes violence, vulgarity, lewdness and selfishness;

• I will embrace the concept of mutual respect by treating others the way I want them to treat me;

• I will support a campus culture of diversity by respecting the rights of those whose views and experiences differ from my own;

• I will honor and care for the sanctity of my body as the temple of God;

• I will commit myself to service so that I can make a difference in the world and a difference for more than just myself; and 

• I will celebrate and contribute to the “spirit of greatness” left by those who preceded me and I will work to leave this a better place for those who follow me.

As a member of this community, I am committed to conducting myself in ways that contribute to a civil campus environment which encourages positive behavior in others. I accept the responsibility to uphold these noble ideals as a proud member of the Clark Atlanta University Family.

Coppin State University is a model urban, residential liberal arts university located in the northwest section of the City of Baltimore that provides academic programs in the arts and sciences, teacher education, nursing, graduate studies, and continuing education. An HBCU (Historically Black Colleges and Universities), Coppin has a culturally rich history as an institution providing quality educational programs and community outreach services. Coppin offers 53 majors and nine graduate-degree programs. A fully accredited institution, Coppin serves Baltimore residents as well as students from around the world, with flexible course schedules that include convenient day, evening, and weekend classes and distance learning courses.

Coppin was founded in 1900 at what was then called Colored High School (later named Douglass High School) on Pennsylvania Avenue by the Baltimore City School Board who initiated a one-year training course for the preparation of African-American elementary school teachers. By 1902, the training program was expanded to a two-year Normal Department within the high school, and seven years later it was separated from the high school and given its own principal.

By 1938 the curriculum of the normal school was lengthened to four years, authority was given for the granting of the Bachelor of Science degree, and the name of the Normal School was changed to Coppin Teachers College. In 1950, Coppin became part of the higher education system of Maryland under the State Department of Education, and renamed Coppin State Teachers College. Two years later Coppin moved to its present 38-acre site on West North Avenue.

The Delaware College for Colored Students, now known as Delaware State University, was established May 15, 1891, by the Delaware General Assembly under the provisions of the Morrill Act of 1890 by which land-grant colleges for Blacks came into existence in states maintaining separate educational facilities. With the appointment of an inaugural six-member Board of Trustees, that governing body used part of the initial $8,000 state appropriation to purchase a 95-acre property north of the state capital of Dover to establish the new college. Because there was already a private Delaware College (now the University of Delaware) located in Newark, Del., to avoid confusion new state legislation was passed and enacted in early 1893 to change the black school’s name to the State College for Colored Students. That would be the institution’s name for the next 54 years. Through the conservative and practical planning of the Board of Trustees appointed by Delaware Gov. Robert J. Reynolds, the College was launched upon its mission of education and public service on February 2, 1892. Five courses of study leading to a baccalaureate degree were offered: Agricultural, Chemical, Classical, Engineering and Scientific. A Preparatory Department was established in 1893 for students who were not qualified to pursue a major course of study upon entrance. A three-year normal course leading to a teacher’s certificate was initiated in 1897. The College graduated its first class of degree candidates in May 1898. The normal course of study (teacher education) was extended to four years in 1911 and the Bachelor of Pedagogy degree was awarded to students upon satisfactory completion of the curriculum. As of fall 2021, the University’s student enrollment is 5,649 students. The University’s physical infrastructure has grown from its 1891 beginning as a 100-acre property with three buildings to a beautiful 356-acre pedestrian campus with over 50 buildings and four outdoor athletic fields. The University also has two farm properties in the Kenton and Smyrna areas, locations in Wilmington and Georgetown, and its Airway Science Program maintains its fleet of planes and base of operation at the Delaware Air Park in Cheswold.

Dillard University was born from the union of two institutions that served as equity-building engines in the South--New Orleans University and Straight University. After the Civil War, New Orleans experienced an influx of formerly enslaved people. One institution that sought to serve them was Thompson Biblical Institute, founded in 1866 to train freedmen to become ministers. Finding it difficult to philosophically meet the developing Black community where they were, Thompson became a biblical department within Union Normal School in 1869. Union, which was run by the Freedmen’s Aid Society of the Methodist Episcopal Church (now the United Methodist Church), was established to train African American teachers, providing a significant need throughout the South. Along with that need came a demand for higher education which led Methodist Episcopal Church officials to convert Union to New Orleans University in 1873. The University was located on St. Charles Avenue in an area that was then known as Rickerville. One of the figures who lobbied Louisiana legislators for the university’s charter was Rev. J.C. Hartzell, and among the first to sign the charter for New Orleans University was the formerly enslaved Rev. Emperor Williams. New Orleans University was part of an ecosystem of institutions designed to educate and support African Americans. Among other institutions that were part of this network was Gilbert Academy which was incorporated into New Orleans University in 1919. Also part of that ecosystem was Flint Medical College, founded in 1889 to meet the demand for trained Black nurses. Later, the University absorbed Phyllis Wheatley Sanitarium, founded in 1896, because of its financial difficulties. The sanitarium was renamed Sara Goodridge Nurse Training School. When lack of funding threatened Flint Medical College’s existence, it joined Goodridge to become Flint-Goodridge Hospital in 1916. The same year of the founding of Union Normal School, Straight University was founded with support from the American Missionary Association of the Congregational Church (now the United Church of Christ). The University was named for businessman and philanthropist Seymour Straight who partnered with the American Missionary Association to provide higher education opportunities for African Americans, post-emancipation. Classes began in a church, but later moved to what is now 1631 Esplanade Avenue. Straight quickly drew the attention of a diverse set of students from other parts of the southern United States, particularly because of their law and medical schools. In 1877, when Union soldiers began to withdraw from New Orleans, Straight’s main campus building was set ablaze, forcing the university to relocate. In 1905, Straight University became Straight College. The rise of Jim Crow proved to be a significant challenge for New Orleans University and Straight College because of the difficulties African American college graduates had finding professional career opportunities. In New Orleans, African Americans were often forced into domestic and menial labor. At the same time, the economy of the South had become stagnant, particularly with War World I having erupted in 1914. In 1928, Straight College president James P. O'Brien made an appeal to businessman Edgar B. Stern for financial support. O’Brien’s request sparked interest from the Julius Rosenwald Fund, the General Election Board of New York and several prominent New Orleanians. The condition was that New Orleans University and Straight College had to consolidate to which each institution’s board of trustees agreed. On June 6, 1930, the newly formed board of trustees for the new institution proposed a charter for the opening of Dillard University. The boards of New Orleans University and Straight College were not the only groups that cooperated. Four years later, in 1934, alumni from both institutions united to form the Dillard University National Alumni Association. Dillard University, Louisiana's oldest historically Black university, is a private four-year liberal arts faith-based university. Located in New Orleans, we offer 22 bachelor's degrees and two certificates in the disciplines of Business, Health and Wellness, the Humanities, Nursing, STEM and Social Sciences. Our diverse student body is composed of students from 33 states and 12 countries.

In 1865, barely six months after the end of the Civil War and just two years after the Emancipation Proclamation, three men — John Ogden, the Reverend Erastus Milo Cravath, and the Reverend Edward P. Smith — established the Fisk School in Nashville.

The school was named in honor of General Clinton B. Fisk of the Tennessee Freedmen's Bureau, who provided the new institution with facilities in former Union Army barracks near the present site of Nashville's Union Station. In these facilities Fisk convened its first classes on January 9, 1866. The first students ranged in age from seven to seventy, but shared common experiences of slavery and poverty — and an extraordinary thirst for learning.

 The tradition of excellence at Fisk has developed out of a history marked by struggle and uncertainty. Fisk's world-famous Jubilee Singers® originated as a group of traveling students who set out from Nashville on October 6, 1871, taking the entire contents of the University treasury with them for travel expenses, praying that through their music they could somehow raise enough money to keep the doors of their debt-ridden school open. The singers struggled at first, but before long, their performances so electrified audiences that they traveled throughout the United States and Europe, moving to tears audiences that included William Lloyd Garrison, Wendell Phillips, Ulysses S. Grant, William Gladstone, Mark Twain, Johann Strauss, and Queen Victoria. To this day, each October 6, Fisk pauses to observe the anniversary of the singers' departure from campus in 1871. The contemporary Jubilee Singers, a Grammy recipient group, perform in a University convocation — and conclude the day's ceremonies with a pilgrimage to the grave sites of the original singers, where once again, the old songs are sung at the burial places of their first performers.

Fisk University produces graduates from diverse backgrounds with the integrity and intellect required for substantive contributions to society. Our curriculum is grounded in the liberal arts. Our faculty and administrators emphasize the discovery and advancement of knowledge through research in the natural and social sciences, business and the humanities. We are committed to the success of scholars and leaders with global perspective.

Other universities simply teach history. Hampton University puts you right in the middle of it. Because, as you’ll soon discover, you’re not just a part of Hampton University, Hampton University is a part of you.

While our roots reach deep into the history of this nation and the African-American experience, our sights — like yours — are set squarely on the horizons of the global community of the 21st century.

Rich in history, steeped in tradition, Hampton University is a dynamic, progressive institution of higher education, providing a broad range of technical, liberal arts, and graduate degree programs. In addition to being one of the top historically black universities in the world, Hampton University is a tightly-knit community of learners and educators, representing 49 states and 35 territories and nations.

Hampton University is nestled along the banks of the Virginia Peninsula, near the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay. The surrounding city of Hampton features a wide array of business and industrial enterprises, retail and residential areas, historical sites, and miles of waterfront and beaches. Attractions such as Fort Monroe, NASA Langley Research Center And the Virginia Air and Space Center add to the splendor — and just plain fun — of the HU campus.

Founded in 1867, Howard University is a private research university comprising 13 schools and colleges.Students pursue more than 140 programs of study leading to undergraduate, graduate and professional degrees. The University operates with a commitment to Excellence in Truth and Service and has produced one Schwarzman Scholar, three Marshall Scholars, four Rhodes Scholars, 12 Truman Scholars, 25 Pickering Fellows and more than 165 Fulbright recipients. Howard also produces more on-campus African American Ph.D. recipients than any other university in the United States.  

The University's motto Veritas et Utilitas, Truth and Service, represents a key part of our identity. More than 10,000 undergraduate and graduate students dedicate hundreds of hours each year to service in nearby LeDroit Park, around the nation and throughout the world. Over the U.S. Peace Corps' 50-year history, more than 200 Howard graduates have served as volunteers around the globe, the highest number among historically-Black colleges. The University remains committed to further enhancing its strategic positioning as one of the top research universities in the nation. As we celebrate 154 years, we are uniquely positioned to have the next 150 years as glorious as the past. 

Johnson C. Smith University, the only historically Black university in Charlotte, North Carolina, embodies its motto, Sit Lux, meaning, “let there be light.” Sitting at the highest point in the Queen City, JCSU has been a beacon of hope, intellectual capital, social justice and economic development since it was founded in 1867. JCSU offers a forward-thinking curriculum with 21 undergraduate degree programs and a master’s degree in social work to nearly 1,100 students from a variety of ethnic, socioeconomic and geographic backgrounds. The University is consistently ranked as North Carolina’s top private HBCU. This is where the best and brightest become brilliant!

Expert faculty integrate the liberal arts with business and STEM programs in socially conscious ways to empower a generation of diverse entrepreneurial citizens and leaders who light the way to a brighter tomorrow. Likewise, outstanding staff provide the academic and student support services that enable students to explore and grow -intellectually, socially, culturally and spiritually — and develop a sense of social responsibility. Charlotte is widely viewed as one of the nation’s best cities as evidenced by its continued growth in size, population and stature. A hub for banking, financial services, healthcare, fintech, energy and innovation, Charlotte is the second largest banking center, the 15th largest city and the 11th fastest-growing city in the United States. The Queen City is also home to professional and minor league sports teams, critically acclaimed arts and culture, as well as dynamic entertainment, dining and shopping. JCSU is located at the urban core of Charlotte, which makes it easy to access internships and jobs and is convenient to the city’s amenities. JCSU doesn’t blend into the background of this great city – it glows as an integral part of the Charlotte’s success. The University has strong community relationships and strategic partnerships with businesses, corporations, government agencies and civic and philanthropic organizations. As an active community partner, JCSU serves as a catalyst for building and sustaining assets in the surrounding neighborhoods and throughout the city. The University respects its rich legacy as it continues to evolve into a 21st century institution that prepares students for cutting-edge careers in a rapidly changing world. The future shines at Johnson C. Smith University!

With more than 35 undergraduate and four graduate programs to choose from, Lincoln University gives you the knowledge, skills, and hands-on experience you'll need to get ahead. Pursuing your degree, you'll be challenged and pushed to be your very best while also getting the support of our dedicated staff and passionate faculty. You'll emerge from your studies here ready to achieve more than you thought possible. Since its founding more than 165 years ago, those three words have defined our mission at Lincoln University. We're dedicated to empowering our students—empowering you—with the knowledge, confidence, and connections to achieve success and rise to the top. Those words also define us as we move towards the future. But even as we look ahead, it's important to look back and remember where we came from, and how that informs our mission and our approach today. Originally established as The Ashmun Institute, Lincoln University received its charter from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania on April 29, 1854, making it the nation's first degree-granting Historically Black College and University (HBCU). "The first institution found anywhere in the world to provide a higher education in the arts and sciences for male youth of African descent,” described Horace Mann Bond (class of 1923), Lincoln’s first African American president, in his book, Education for Freedom.  Before that, though, the school was the dream of its founders, John Miller Dickey and his wife Sarah Emlen Cresson. She'd inherited a long tradition of service and philanthropy through the Society of Friends in Philadelphia, while the importance of education was a major value Dickey's family. His maternal grandfather was a marble merchant in Philadelphia who made contributions to the education of African-Americans in that city as early as 1794, and his father was a minister of the Oxford Presbyterian Church. After serving as a missionary and preaching to the slaves in Georgia, John Miller Dickey became pastor of that same church in Oxford, Pennsylvania, in 1832. He was active in the American Colonization Society, and in 1851, he took part in the court actions leading to the freeing of a young African-American girl who had been abducted from southern Chester County by slave raiders from Maryland. At the same time, having been unsuccessful in his efforts to gain college admission to even the most liberal of schools for a young freedman named James Amos, Dickey himself prepared the young man for the ministry. In October 1853, the Presbytery of New Castle approved Dickey’s plan for the establishment of “an institution to be called Ashmun Institute, for the scientific, classical and theological education of colored youth of the male sex.”

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. 

At Morehouse you rise to meet the highest expectations. You join a supportive brotherhood. You find mentors who encourage and challenge you. You do well for yourself. You do good in the world. You learn to lead completely.

Men of Morehouse strive to be tall enough to wear our crown of high expectations and the title of Morehouse Man. A Morehouse Man is an academic, intellectual, and professional success. Inspired by strong, intelligent, critical, and supportive brothers and teachers, a Morehouse Man endeavors to do the same.

Morehouse brothers become and remain the Morehouse Man’s most influential guides and closest friends. From day one, their brothers inspire them, challenge them, hold them accountable, and stand by them. The Morehouse brotherhood extends across generations, throughout the nation, and into every industry and area of life.

In this close-knit culture, professors do more than teaching—they mentor, nurture, and encourage. They offer wise guidance and experienced perspectives, challenging the Morehouse Man to question their assumptions and elevate their ambitions. Morehouse doesn’t push a Morehouse Man in the right direction—we show you how to discover this for yourself and find your true path. And own it.

Morehouse Men strive for more than typical successes. They seek to continuously improve themselves and their communities. And while a degree opens doors, our mission is to ensure that when a Morehouse Man walks through them, they enter as a man of strong mind and character. A man who knows all he’s capable of. A man who knows himself. A leader. A man in full.

Morgan State University, founded in 1867, is a Carnegie-classified high research (R2) institution providing instruction to a multiethnic, multiracial, multinational student body and offering more than 140 academic programs leading to degrees from the baccalaureate to the doctorate. As Maryland's Preeminent Public Urban Research University, Morgan fulfills its mission to address the needs and challenges of the modern urban environment through intense community-level study and pioneering solutions. 

Anchored in a charming residential area of northeast Baltimore, the breadth of Morgan’s expansive campus encompasses more than 185 acres extending beyond its sprawling campus proper which features state-of-the-art facilities geared toward innovative teaching and learning in the 21st century. The only university to have its entire campus, designated as a National Treasure by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, offers a safe and inviting learning environment with easy access to the best the city has to offer: culture, exhibits, dining, shopping, activities, sightseeing and employment. The off-campus opportunities also extend to community projects and civic engagement.

Morgan has graduated more than 55,000 degree candidates since its establishment more than 150 years ago, producing a passionately devoted corps of alumni who have found success in all areas of endeavor, in the U.S. and beyond. Among the nation's most diverse Historically Black Colleges and Universities, and the largest in Maryland, Morgan seeks to ensure that the doors of higher education are opened as wide as possible to as many as possible.

Morris Brown College was founded on Christian principles in 1881 by the African Methodist Episcopal Church and is chartered by the State of Georgia as a private, coeducational, liberal arts college engaged in teaching, research, and public service in the arts, humanities, social and natural sciences and professional programs. The mission of Morris Brown College is to provide educational opportunities in a positive and nurturing environment that will enable its students to become fully functional persons in our global society. The College prepares graduates to live meaningful and rewarding lives, thereby enabling them to make socially constructive and culturally relevant contributions to society. Morris Brown College, in its commitment to academic excellence, provides experiences that foster and enhance intellectual, personal, and interpersonal development for students who have demonstrated the potential to compete in a challenging undergraduate liberal arts program of study. Morris Brown College, founded in 1881 by the African Methodist Episcopal Church, is a private, coeducational, liberal arts college engaged in teaching and public service with special focus in leadership, management, entrepreneurship and technology. The College is proud of its tradition of serving the educational needs of the best and brightest young minds, while simultaneously providing educational support to students who might not otherwise receive the opportunity to compete on the college level. Students fitting the latter are given the tools they need to increase their potential for earning a college degree. This is a formula that has proven itself time and again. Among our outstanding alumni are Isaac Blythers, former President of Atlanta Gas Light Company; Eula L. Adams, Executive Vice President for First Data Corporation; Albert J. Edmonds, Retired Lieutenant General of the United States Air Forces; the late Reverend Dr. Hosea Williams, civil rights leader; Thomas J. Byrd, actor of television, film and stage; and Pulitzer prize-winning author, James A. McPherson. Adams and Edmonds were cited by Fortune Magazine among the nation’s top African-American corporate executives. The list of our graduates and their accolades go on and on.

Founded in 1935 Norfolk State University is a four-year, public, urban, coeducational comprehensive university offering programs at the undergraduate and graduate levels. Located in the Hampton Roads region of Virginia. The University is close to downtown Norfolk, with its shops, restaurants and museums. Norfolk is home to the world's largest naval base and the North American Headquarters for NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization). Several Fortune 500 corporations, two federal research laboratories and other military installations call Hampton Roads home. The University is also within driving distance of the resort city of Virginia Beach and its oceanfront activities and attractions.

Norfolk State University is a 134-acre campus near downtown Norfolk, VA. Includes a state-of-the-art applied research building, brand new 154,000 square-foot classroom and office building, and recently built 84,500 square-foot student center, 56,000 square-foot student services building, a 140,000 square-foot nursing and general education classroom building and a 135,000 square-foot library.

North Carolina A&T State University is so many things to so many people, both in our state and around the country. We are a top-flight research university, the largest historically black university in the country, the #1 producer of degrees awarded to African Americans in North Carolina and nationally recognized for our excellence in science, technology, mathematics and engineering (STEM) education. We are a diverse community, bound by intense pride and tradition, with fiercely loyal alumni who hold positions of importance and influence in companies and government agencies across the state, the country and the world. We are inclusive and welcoming, with students from many backgrounds and cultures, every part of our state, our nation and countries around the globe. We are achievers, driven by a curious, limitless, fearless spirit that fuels discovery and innovation, resulting in 41 patents issued based on our research, as well as numerous spin-off and start-up companies.

As a public, high-research activity land-grant university, North Carolina A&T is a research engine, education center and economic catalyst serving not only this state, but the nation. With students drawn from nearly every state in America, and six continents around the world, our educational impact is as broad and deep as any university in the Southeastern United States. We are not only America’s top-rated historically black university (HBCU), but its largest for seven consecutive years, as well as its leading HBCU STEM institution. We produce more African American engineers and agricultural scientists than any university in the nation and are home to the top public HBCU business school in the country.

A&T has grown substantially over the past decade in enrollment, in academic programming and in research capabilities, adding four new centers of excellence in the past year alone. And we are nowhere near done. Our relentless implementation of a visionary strategic plan will see us expand to an enrollment of more than 14,000 by 2023, add important facilities like the $90 million Engineering Research and Innovation Center due to open in 2021 and a new 450-bed residence hall and grow our research program through expansion of strategic partnerships with a broad range of federal agencies and private concerns. We encourage you to get to know A&T, and what may be possible for your organization in relationship with America’s no. 1 HBCU.

Let’s start at the beginning—a century and 10 years ago to be precise. It was a time when Black Wall Street in Durham, North Carolina, was at its peak; colleges open to educating African Americans in North Carolina were few; and a prosperous pharmacist and religious educator had a vision and acted on his dream. 

Dr. James E. Shepard, a successful businessman who was thought to be one of the wealthiest African Americans in the United States during the early 1900s, opened the doors of the National Religious Training School and Chautauqua for the Colored Race on July 5, 1910. In doing so, he boldly declared its purpose to be “the development in young men and women of the character and sound academic training requisite for real service to the nation.” 

The institution was sold and reorganized in 1915 as the National Training School. The first four-year class graduated on June 6, 1929. In 1923, the North Carolina state legislature converted the institution into the North Carolina College for Negroes and dedicated it to liberal arts education and the preparation of teachers and principals. The college thus became the nation’s first state-supported liberal arts college for black students.

Identified as a Community Engaged Institution by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, the NCCU community lives by the institution’s motto of “Truth and Service.” For the 2019–2020 academic year, students contributed more than 181,950 hours of public service, the equivalent of $4.6 million dollars returned to the surrounding Triangle region economy.

From semesters abroad in countries throughout Latin America and Asia to partnerships with institutions in China and the Caribbean, NCCU Eagles spread their wings wide and fly far with cultural immersions, global exchanges and study abroad experiences.

North Carolina Central University prepares students to succeed in the global marketplace. Consistently ranked as a top Historically Black College or University and Best Regional University in the South by U.S. News & World Report, NCCU offers flagship programs in the sciences, education, law, business, nursing and the arts.

More than 140 years ago, three delegates to the Louisiana State Constructional Convention presented a vision for an institution of higher learning that would serve anyone — particularly Black Americans — who desired to further their education. As a result, in 1880, Legislative Act 87 called for a 12-member Board of Trustees and for a faculty of “arts and letters” competent in every branch of liberal education.

Southern University is a trailblazer in the higher education community. With more than 30 academic programs awarding bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees, and representation from more than 20 countries, Southern University is a melting pot for culture, education, and service. Its arts, nursing, engineering, computer science and business programs, among others, continue to grow to become among the best in the state and nation. The university’s athletic programs have witnessed a resurgence and its world-acclaimed marching band — the Human Jukebox — is inarguably one of the most elite college marching bands in the nation.

Southern is also a leader in economic and workforce development on local, state, and national levels. Recent projects and collaborations include a partnership with energy company Entergy to support classroom and lab infrastructure improvements to increase the number of minority engineers; partnership with international technology company DXC, which aims to expand the number of degrees awarded annually in computer science, management, and STEM-related fields; continued relationships with Fortune 500 companies and government agencies such as NASA, and the establishment of the Valdry Center for Philanthropy, which offers programming in the philanthropic and nonprofit fields.

Southern University is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. It is part of the five-campus Southern University System, the only historically Black university system in the nation

The mission of Southern University and A&M College includes providing opportunities for a diverse population to achieve a high-quality education.  The institution is fully accredited by Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACS-COC) and is proud of its rich heritage of producing highly qualified undergraduate and graduate students in thirty-four undergraduate programs and twenty-two graduate programs.  Over ninety-six percent of all academic programs are nationally accredited by specialty area organizations. 

Founded in 1881 as the Atlanta Baptist Female Seminary, we 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 we are proud members of the Atlanta University Center Consortium.

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

Spelman is proud of its 76 percent graduation rate (average over six years), one of the best in the nation, but our support doesn’t stop once you step on stage to take your diploma. Our global alumnae network is strong, providing connections and helping hands to graduates as they begin on their path of global engagement.

Spelman College, a historically Black college and a global leader in the education of women of African descent, is dedicated to academic excellence in the liberal arts and sciences and the intellectual, creative, ethical, and leadership development of its students. Through diverse learning modalities, Spelman empowers the whole person to engage the many cultures of the world and inspires a commitment to positive social change.

Spelman College has been recognized among the top 100 national liberal arts colleges, and for the 16th straight year, is the No. 1 historically Black college and university in the country, according to the 2022 U.S. News & World Report "Best Colleges" rankings. 

Spelman’s current graduation rate of 76 percent (six year average) is the highest among all HBCUs and is well above the national graduation rate (42 percent) for African American students. 

With an acceptance rate of 51 percent, Spelman is among the most selective women’s colleges in the nation. Spelman educates two Gates Millennium Scholars, and the College is annually recognized as one of the leading producers of Fulbright Fellowship winners. 

Twelve Spelman students have been named Truman Scholars and 33 Marshall Scholars. Out of more than 300 applicants across the U.S., Spelman is one of just two colleges in Georgia – and among only three historically black colleges nationwide – named a 2015 First in the World (FITW) grant recipient by the U.S. Department of Education.

Spelman will receive $2.7 million to incorporate new teaching and learning strategies into its curriculum focused on metacognitive learning, a system defined as “thinking about thinking.” 

Among the faculty are nationally and internationally recognized and awarded scholars, heads and officers of disciplinary associations, and several patent holders. 90 percent of faculty members have doctoral degrees or the equivalent in their fields. 

One-third of our students enter graduate or professional school immediately after college graduation, resulting in Spelman being one of the nation's leading producers of Black female medical students and doctoral candidates in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. 

Spelman has been recognized by the National Science Foundation as the leading producer of Black women who go on to earn doctorates in the sciences.

Founded in 1912, TSU is a comprehensive, urban, co-educational, land-grant institution in Nashville, Tennessee. The university has been served by seven presidents, including Dr. Glenda Baskin Glover, who is currently serving as our eighth president. Tennessee State University has two campuses -- the lovely 500-acre main campus centrally-situated in the vibrant city of Nashville and the Avon Williams Campus, situated directly in the downtown district.

In 1909, the Tennessee State General Assembly created three normal schools, including the Agricultural and Industrial Normal School, which would grow to become TSU. The first 247 students began their academic careers on June 19, 1912, and William Jasper Hale served as head of the school. Students, faculty, and staff worked together as a family to keep the institution operating, whether the activity demanded clearing rocks, harvesting crops, or carrying chairs from class to class.

Tennessee State University is designated by the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education as a R2: Doctoral Institution – High Research Activity. The university engages in cutting-edge research to address critical challenges in our society. Our research arm supports faculty and students by taking their ideas from conception to fruition in critical areas such as agricultural sciences, engineering, biotechnology, nano materials, health sciences, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, astrophysics, business and the social sciences. The Office of Research and Sponsored Programs works to enable our research community, through support and development, to achieve research goals through external funding.

Welcome to Tuskegee University- "the pride of the swift, growing south." Founded in a one room shanty, near Butler Chapel AME Zion Church, thirty adults represented the first class - Dr. Booker T. Washington the first teacher. The founding date was July 4, 1881, authorized by House Bill 165.

We should give credit to George Campbell, a former slave owner, and Lewis Adams, a former slave, tinsmith and community leader, for their roles in the founding of the University. Adams had not had a day of formal education but could read and write. In addition to being a tinsmith, he was also a shoemaker and harness-maker. And he could well have been experienced in other trades. W. F. Foster was a candidate for re-election to the Alabama Senate and approached Lewis Adams about the support of African-Americans in Macon County.

At the time of Washington’s death, there were 1,500 students, a $2 million endowment, 40 trades, (we would call them majors today), 100 fully-equipped buildings, and about 200 faculty. From 30 adult students in a one room shanty, we have today grown to more than 3,000 students on a campus (the main campus, farm and forest land) that includes some 5,000 acres and more than 70 buildings. 

Instruction:

• We focus on education as a continuing process and lifelong endeavor for all people.

• We provide a high quality core experience in the liberal arts.

• We develop superior technical, scientific, and professional education with a career orientation.

• We stress the relationship between education and employment, between what students learn and the changing needs of a global workforce.

Research:

• We preserve, refine, and develop further the bodies of knowledge already discovered.

• We discover new knowledge for the continued growth of individuals and society and for the enrichment of the University's instructional and service programs.

• We develop applications of knowledge to help resolve problems of modern society.

Service:

We serve the global society as well as the regional and campus community and beyond through the development of outreach programs that are compatible with the University's educational mission, that improve understanding of community problems, and that help develop relevant alternative solutions.

We engage in outreach activities to assist in the development of communities as learning societies.

UNDERGRADUATE PROGRAM

A strong liberal arts program with a core curriculum is provided for all undergraduate students, enabling them to prepare for the mastery of humanities, sciences, technical and professional areas.

The more specific aims of the undergraduate program are to:

• Present the process of education as a lifelong experience;

• Insure that students have a strong grasp of language usage-written and oral, mathematical as well as literary;

• Deepen students' knowledge of history and the cultural heritage;

• Develop students' sense of civic and socially responsible use of time and of knowledge;

• Understand and appreciate the importance of moral and spiritual values to enable students to not only pursue careers but to lead lives that are personally satisfying and socially responsible; and

• Equip students with strong research interests and skills and deep commitments to the professions.

Virginia State University enrolled the University’s largest incoming class of new students in more than three decades. In fall 2022, VSU welcomed more than 1700 new students (first-time freshmen and transfer students). This is an increase of more than 550 new students over the fall 2021 semester.

Virginia State University recorded the University's second straight year of record-high numbers. In fall 2022, VSU enrollment grew by 349 students for a total enrollment of 4649 students. This is an increase of more than 8 percent over fall 2021. The increase is the single largest year-to-year increase in enrollment at VSU in over a decade—topping the 7 percent increase the University experienced in fall 2021.

Virginia State University ranked as the top HBCU in Virginia and in the top 12% of all "Bang-for-your-Buck" institutions in the southeast region of the United States. The list is determined by an institution’s ability to afford access to marketable degrees for non-wealthy students.

Virginia State University ranked in the top 15% of the 2022 Best Historically Black Colleges and Universities. This ranking by College Consensus combines the results of the most respected college ranking systems with the averaged ratings of thousands of real student reviews.

Virginia State University ranked in the top 30 in Best Overall HBCUs, according to the 2022-2023 U.S. News and World Report college rankings. The University rose from 29th to 26th in the annual list, which examines factors such as retention, alumni giving, faculty resources, graduate indebtedness, and student excellence. There are 101 HBCUs in the United States.

Virginia State University ranked in the top 20% on the 2022-2023 list of “Performers on Social Mobility” of Regional Universities South. This listing, by U.S. News and World Report, evaluates which schools best serve and graduate underrepresented students.

Virginia State University expanded its online program offerings. The new programs include a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in Hospitality Management, a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in Nursing, a Master of Education (M.Ed.) in Special Education, a Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) in Educational Administration and Supervision, and a Certification in Homefront Readjustment for the Armed Forces.

Virginia State University began construction on what will be the largest building ever built on the VSU campus. The $120M Academic Commons building will replace the old Harris Hall and Daniel gymnasium. As a strategic investment, the Academic Commons will consolidate the College of Humanities and Social Sciences and the College of Education into one complex.

Virginia State University expanded the University’s athletic opportunities by adding three new sports programs. The Athletics Department added women's soccer, men's lacrosse, and women's lacrosse to their list of sponsored sports. Men's Soccer will be added in Spring 2023.

Virginia State University’s Reginald F. Lewis College of Business was reaffirmed for accreditation by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business, International (AACSB).

Virginia State University hired the University’s first director for the University’s newly established Office of Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging. This office prioritizes support for LGBTQ+ and others who experience discrimination.

Virginia State University started an innovative program to address the Richmond and Petersburg Teacher Shortage. The VSU program offers free tuition to graduate students in exchange for working in the local school systems.

Virginia State University partnered to win a portion of a $1 billion grant challenge to boost Virginia's Pharmaceutical Industry. VSU and several strategic partners submitted a comprehensive proposal to the Build Back Better Regional Challenge (BBBRC) to establish an advanced pharmaceutical cluster in Central Virginia. The cluster won a total of $52.9 million in shared grant funding.

Virginia State University launched the VSU “Home Assistance Payment Initiative” (VSU-HAPI). The initiative will provide eligible homebuyers up to a $10,000 match toward a down payment and/or closing cost when they purchase a home within the city limits of Petersburg, VA or in the Village of Ettrick, in Chesterfield County, Virginia.

Virginia State University was named a 2022 Fulbright Historically Black College and University (HBCU) Institutional Leader. Fulbright HBCU Institutional Leaders have demonstrated outstanding support for Fulbright exchange participants during the 2020-2021 and 2021-2022 academic years and have promoted Fulbright program opportunities on campus.

Virginia State University received a $1.45 million grant to assist enrolled student-parents (students who are also parents) with childcare costs. The funds, which will be distributed over the next four years, will be used to offer student-parents access to affordable childcare services both on and off campus.

Virginia State University received a commitment for a $500,000 gift from Dr. Audrey Shields Penn, 88, in honor of her aunt and VSU trailblazer, Ms. Otelia Roberta Shields Howard. Ms. Otelia Howard, a Petersburg native, served Virginia State University for over two decades as a professor, advisor, and charter member of two organizations on campus.

Virginia State University received a portion of a $1 million Health Innovation and Research Grant. VSU is one of five HBCUs in the country to be awarded $200K for visionary projects focusing on health-related research. The Propel Center grant supports faculty and students' world-class research and innovation opportunities.

Virginia State University joined an initiative that has the potential to impact college debt for thousands of students. Student Freedom Initiative announced that Virginia State University would join their Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs) that offer an income-contingent alternative to federal Parent PLUS loans.

Virginia State University was selected as one of six Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) across the country to take part in a research and design project focused on building an integrated framework for digital learning at HBCUs. The project is a first-of-its-kind, $2.5 million Digital Learning Infrastructure (DLI) initiative led by Complete College America (CCA) and supported by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF).

Virginia State University created the VSU Center for Creative and Entertainment Arts, designed to provide academic offerings, research, workforce development, and entrepreneurship in the arts. This center will also create improved synergies with existing educational programs and expand offerings in the creative and performing arts.

Virginia State University addressed the student mental health crisis seen across college campuses by hiring a full staff of licensed counselors, forming a holistic health and wellness team, training dozens of employees on mental health first aid, and holding a mental health/wellness fair and walk.

Virginia State University unveiled the new “Greater Happens Here” mural, believed to be the only one of its kind and inspired by the Black Lives Matter Plaza mural in Washington, D.C. The VSU mural was completed on University Avenue in front of the Foster Hall Student Union.

Virginia State University hosted the Inaugural James Arthur Baldwin International Symposium (JABIS). The web-based research and artistic forum showcased scholars and artists from North America, Europe, Africa, and Bermuda's British North Atlantic archipelago

St. Katharine Drexel of Philadelphia and her Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament, a religious community dedicated to the education of African Americans and Native Americans, established Xavier as a high school in 1915. The four-year college program was added in 1925. Today Xavier retains its distinction as the only historically Black, Catholic University in the United States.

​​In 1970, the Sisters transferred control of the University to a joint lay/religious Board of Trustees. Dr. Norman C. Francis, a 1952 XULA graduate, served as president for 47 years before retiring in 2015. Dr. C. Reynold Verret now serves as President.

Xavier's student body is predominantly African American (70.2%), but the university is open to all. Despite a growing influx of out-of-state students, more than one-half of the university's nearly 3,000 students are from Louisiana.

Undergraduate students, regardless of their major are required to complete sixty-six hours of liberal arts core curriculum courses in English, Literature, Fine Arts, Foreign Languages, History, African American Studies, Mathematics, Natural Sciences, Philosophy, Theology, and Social Sciences in addition to courses in their major fields. Xavier offers preparation in 46 major areas on the undergraduate, graduate, and professional degree levels.

The University is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. Its respective programs are accredited by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education, the National Association of Schools of Music, the Louisiana State Department of Education, the Association of Collegiate Business Schools and Programs, and the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE). Xavier is also approved by the American Chemical Society. 

According to the U.S. Department of Education, Xavier continues to rank first nationally in the number of African American students earning undergraduate degrees in both the biological/life sciences and the physical sciences.

The College of Pharmacy, one of only two pharmacy schools in Louisiana, is among the nation's top four producers of African American Doctor of Pharmacy degree recipients. In pre-medical education, Xavier ranks first in the nation in the number of African American graduates who go on to complete medical school.