U.S. News & World Report Lists The Top 20 HBCUs In The Country

U.S. News & World Report has released their official list of the top 20 historically Black colleges and universities in the country.

The organization reports that to qualify for the U.S. News ranking, an HBCU also must be an undergraduate baccalaureate-granting institution that enrolls primarily first-year, first-time students and must have been a school that was currently part of the 2011 Best Colleges rankings.

Click the numbers below to check out the top 20 and see if your favorite HBCU made the cut.

20. (TIE) Morgan State University & Tennessee State University

Baltimore’s famed HBCU takes the last spot on the list alongside its Nashville, Tennessee counterpart. Both institutions are well known throughout the country and TSU was recently recognized by New College Rankings who gave their curriculum an “A” grade.

19. Winston Salem State University

Founded in 1892, this public North Carolina school has around 6,000 undergraduate students that study at the institution’s Winston Salem campus. WSSU also boasts that they’ve been previously recognized by U.S. News and World Report as one of the Top Public Comprehensive Colleges in the South consistently for the last nine years.

17. (TIE) Delaware State University & Elizabeth City State University

Delaware State and Elizabeth City State are both sharing the number 17 spot of the top HBCUs of the nation. Del State, previously known as The State College for Colored Students when it was founded in 1891, educates around 4,000 undergraduate students on its 400-acre campus.
Elizabeth City State is located in northeastern North Carolina and offers baccalaureate, graduate, and professional degrees for what’s described as a “diverse student body.”

15. (TIE) Jackson State University & Johnson C. Smith University

Founded in 1877, Mississippi’s pride ties with one of North Carolina’s smaller schools, Johnson C. Smith. Known for their “Sonic Boom Band”, Jackson State boasts an enrollment of over 8,000 students compared to Smith’s estimated enrollment of 1,500. Don’t let the small size fool you however; like Winston Salem State, Johnson C. Smith has been ranked several times by U.S. News and World Report as one of the best comprehensive colleges in the South.

14. South Carolina State University
Located in Orangeburg, South Carolina, South Carolina State takes the #14 spot. In addition to making this list the school was ranked # 1 in Social Mobility by The Washington Monthly in 2006, 2007 and 2009. The school was previously ranked #13 among “America’s Best Colleges” by U.S. News and World Report and #49 “Historically Black College or University” by Black Enterprise.

12. (TIE) Florida A&M University & North Carolina A&T State University

FAMU and NC A&T are sharing the #12 spot on the list of top 20 HBCUS.

Both colorful well known institutions are known for the onslaught of school spirit from their alumni but should also be noted for their academics. FAMU offers 62 bachelor’s degrees and 39 master’s degrees to its estimated 12,000 students and A&T, 117 undergraduate degree programs and more than 58 master’s degree programs.

We’d be remissed if we didn’t mention FAMU’s Marching 100 band that’s notorious for filling stands and winning awards worldwide. A&T is also known for their Marching Machine, praised for helping to spread their “Aggie Pride.”

11. North Carolina Central University

With 9,000 students from countries including Liberia, India, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Nepal, China, the Czech Republic, Nigeria, South Korea, Russia, the Dominican Republic, Mexico, and South Africa, NCCU just missed the top  ten list. Coming in at #11 is the Durham, North Carolina institution who offers bachelors degrees in reportedly more than 100 fields of study and awards graduate degrees in an estimated 40 disciplines.

10. Tougaloo College

This private historically Black liberal arts school is rounding out the list of top ten HBCUs. Located in Tougaloo, Mississippi, this HBCU founded in 1869 may be smaller than its counterparts but stands its ground as one of the best HBCUs in the country.

9. Dillard University

This New Orleans, Louisiana institution is continuing to receive top marks for its curriculum. Although the tragedy of Hurricane Katrina loomed over its host city, Dillard has managed to progress and continue its history of excellence. With as student body from 27 states and six foreign countries, Dillard has managed to continually be ranked as one of the finest HBCUs in the nation.

8. Claflin University

Associated with the Methodist church and founded in 1869, Claflin comes in at the #9 spot. Located in Orangeburg, South Carolina like its counterpart South Carolina State, this small institution offers 35 undergraduate majors and prides itself on being the oldest historically Black college or university in the state.

7. Fisk University

Although significantly smaller than many other institutions with an estimated 700 students, Fisk is continually noted for African-American achievement. Located in Nashville, Tennessee Fisk proudly says it provides an economic impact of $42 million to its surrounding community and is ranked 1st of moderately selective colleges when it comes to graduating low-income students.

6. Xavier University of Louisiana

It should be to no surprise that this historically Black Catholic school comes in at #6 with its rich history of academic achievement. Like it New Orleans counterpart Dillard, Hurricane Katrina caused several of its students to temporarily seek education elsewhere but has since bounced back. With a requirement of sixty-six hours of liberal arts core curriculum courses, Xavier offers preparation in 47 major areas on the undergraduate, graduate, and professional degree levels.

5. Tuskegee University

The pride of Tuskegee, Alabama comes in at the #5 spot with its notable alumni and academic standards. Founded in 1881 by Booker T. Washington, Skegee is the heart of its hometown. The school has a reported enrollment of 3,000 students and over 900 faculty and staff. With degrees offered in various outlets ranging from architecture to engineering to veterinary medicine, Tuskegee continues to receive high rankings and praise.

4. Hampton University

Founded in 1861 by General Samuel Chapman Armstrong, this elite Virginia University offers an “education for life.” The school has received numerous honors for its accolades which include one of only three Proton Beam therapy centers in the country and has a diverse history including its “Emancipation Oak” tree, where a copy of the Emancipation Proclamation was read to slaves for the first time on the peninsula.

Most recently President Barack Obama was the speaker for its commencement exercise in May and has since planted a sampling from the infamous Emancipation Oak at the White House.

Although it undoubtedly should be #1, Hampton University continues to promote and prove a commitment to excellence.

3. Morehouse College

Known for matriculating the likes of  Martin Luther King, Jr., Spike Lee, Samuel L. Jackson and Maynard Jackson, Morehouse College continues to rank highly on lists of top HBCUs. The nation’s only all-male HBCU is also one of only two Black institutions to produce three Rhodes scholars. Noted for its emphasis on tradition and with an enrollment of an estimated 3,000 students, the standards upheld by their alumni appropriately dubbed “Morehouse Men” continues to make headlines. The Morehouse legacy continues to live on with the institution previously topping Black Enterprises‘ list of top HBCUs and receiving numerous nods from the Washington Post and its counterparts alike.

2. Howard University

A list of top HBCUs wouldn’t be complete without one of the most well known institutions in the country. U.S. News & World Report has ranked Howard University as the second best HBCU in the nation. Located in the nation’s capital and noted for alumni that include Thurgood Marshall, Howard University is undoubtedly notorious for its high rankings. Howard has an estimated enrollment of 7,000 undergraduates and a reported 3,000 graduate students who study medicine, law, divinity and dentistry. Howard is said to produce more on-campus African-American Ph.D.s than any other university in the world. Additionally the University has produced a Rhodes Scholar, A Truman Scholar, six Fulbright Scholars and nine Pickering Fellows.

1. Spelman College

This elite all-female institution is noted for grooming, educating and matriculating some of the nation’s top African-American women. Under the guidance of President Beverley Tatum this liberal arts college has continuously been recognized for its legacy of excellence and commitment to a higher criterion . What it lacks for in size, with an estimated 2,100 undergraduate students, Spelman more than makes up for in might; through a consistent track record of recognition from organizations worldwide. The country’s oldest historically Black college for women offers degrees ranging from religion to mathematics, French, history and physics. According to U.S. News & World Report, Spelman tops the list of HBCUs in the country.

Congrats ladies!