Facts About Historically Black Colleges & Universities

In doing some research recently on Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU's) I learned some interesting facts about these institutions of higher learning. HBCU's are considered to be those schools that were founded before 1964 in order to meet the needs of African American students seeking higher education. But even after the Civil Rights Act of 1964, these schools continue to provide a good educational option of students of African descent and those of other ethnicities wishing to receiver higher education.

I've written previously about the unique role that HBCU's play in the black community and the greater American society as a whole and here are some compelling facts about HBCU's:

• HBCU’s represent 3% of the nation’s institutions of higher learning and enroll 12% of the nation's African American students. There are 370,000 African American students that attend the nation’s 105 HBCU’s.

• HBCU’s comprise 9 of the top 10 schools that produce African American graduates that go onto earn PhD’s.

• More than ½ of the nation’s African American public school teachers are HBCU graduates.

• 70% of the country’s black physicians and dentists went to an HBCU.

• Over half of all African American professionals are HBCU graduates.

• Nearly ½ of the members of the Congressional Black Caucus.

• HBCU’s award 23% of all bachelor degrees, 13% of all master’s degrees and 20% of professional degrees awarded to African Americans.

• Eight out of ten African American federal judges went to an HBCU.

• Florida A & M produces more African American graduates each year than any other college in the country.

• According to the 2010 rankings by U.S. News & World Report, the top ten HBCU’s in the country are (in order): Spelman, Howard, Morehouse, Fisk, Xavier (LA), Hampton, Tuskegee, Claflin, Dillard, and North Carolina Central.

• HBCU alumni include Booker T. Washington, Rosa Parks, A. Phillip Randolph, Mary McLeod Bethune, James Weldon Johnson, Nikki Giovanni, Andrew Young, Thurgood Marshall, Oprah Winfrey, Jesse Jackson, Langston Hughes, Toni Morrison and Martin Luther King, Jr.

Facts taken from the following websites:
http://www.thinkhbcu.org/hbcu_facts.htm
http://diverseeducation.com/article/1162/1.php
http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/hbcu-rankings
http://thinkhbcu.org/new_page_2.htm

For a complete list of HBCU's within the United States, please visit the White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities here.