Best U.S. HBCUs
There are 47 historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) in the U.S., schools established to educate Black students when segregation shut them out of most colleges. Today they remain leaders in affordability, student support, and cultural community, and they welcome students of all backgrounds.
Leading our 2027 rankings is Spelman College in Atlanta, Georgia, ranked #271 nationally. Also highly ranked: Howard University, Xavier University of Louisiana and Fisk University.
Compare tuition, enrollment, acceptance rates, and majors across every HBCU below. Rankings follow the CollegeSimply methodology, blending academics, cost, outcomes, and selectivity. Filter by state or sort by what matters most to you.
List of HBCUs
Bluefield State University
- Public 4 Year
- Bluefield, WV
-
| 0 reviews
- Aug 1 application deadline
Bluefield State is a public HBCU known for undergraduate nursing, engineering technology, and education. The campus is in Bluefield, a small city in the Appalachian mountains of southern West Virginia.
- SAT Range 870-1080
- Avg GPA 3.41
- Acceptance Rate 97%
- Net Price $15,814
Tennessee State University
- Public 4 Year
- Nashville, TN
-
| 0 reviews
Tennessee State is a public HBCU known for undergraduate nursing, business, and engineering. The urban campus is in Nashville.
- SAT Range 880-1050
- Avg GPA 3.22
- Acceptance Rate 70%
- Net Price $14,586
Clark Atlanta University
- Private 4 Year
- Atlanta, GA
-
| 0 reviews
- Apr 1 application deadline
Clark Atlanta is a private historically Black university known for undergraduate social work, business, and mass media arts. The urban Atlanta campus is part of the Atlanta University Center consortium with neighboring HBCUs.
- SAT Range 880-1120
- Avg GPA 3.28
- Acceptance Rate 64%
- Net Price $31,223
Dillard University
- Private 4 Year
- New Orleans, LA
-
| 0 reviews
Dillard is a private historically Black university known for undergraduate nursing, public health, and the sciences. The urban campus sits in New Orleans's Gentilly neighborhood.
- SAT Range 968-1202
- Avg GPA 3.31
- Acceptance Rate 42%
- Net Price $21,842
Claflin University
- Private 4 Year
- Orangeburg, SC
-
| 0 reviews
Claflin is a private historically Black university known for undergraduate biology, business, and education. The residential campus is located in Orangeburg in central South Carolina.
- SAT Range 840-1040
- Avg GPA 3.28
- Acceptance Rate 65%
- Net Price $17,272
Lincoln University
- Public 4 Year
- Lincoln University, PA
-
| 0 reviews
- May 1 application deadline
Lincoln University is a public HBCU known for undergraduate programs in education, business, and the sciences. The rural campus is set in Chester County in southern Pennsylvania.
- SAT Range 820-960
- Avg GPA 3.06
- Acceptance Rate 66%
- Net Price $14,473
Norfolk State University
- Public 4 Year
- Norfolk, VA
-
| 0 reviews
- May 31 application deadline
Norfolk State is a public historically Black university known for undergraduate nursing, social work, and communications. The urban campus sits in Norfolk near downtown and the Elizabeth River.
- SAT Range 823-1030
- Avg GPA 2.9
- Acceptance Rate 88%
- Net Price $9,124
North Carolina Central University
- Public 4 Year
- Durham, NC
-
5.0 | 1 reviews
- Aug 1 application deadline
NCCU is a public historically Black university known for undergraduate nursing, business, and criminal justice. The campus sits in Durham within North Carolina's Research Triangle.
- SAT Range 980-1100
- Avg GPA 3.27
- Acceptance Rate 87%
- Net Price $14,475
Fayetteville State University
- Public 4 Year
- Fayetteville, NC
-
4.3 | 3 reviews
- Aug 1 application deadline
Fayetteville State is a public university known for undergraduate education, nursing, and business. It is a historically Black university in the University of North Carolina system.
- SAT Range 890-1090
- Avg GPA 3.11
- Acceptance Rate 82%
- Net Price $7,811
Jackson State University
- Public 4 Year
- Jackson, MS
-
| 0 reviews
- Jul 15 application deadline
Jackson State is a public historically Black university known for undergraduate business, education, and public health. The urban campus sits in Mississippi's capital city.
- SAT Range 820-1070
- Avg GPA 3.1
- Acceptance Rate 93%
- Net Price $23,450
Alcorn State University
- Public 4 Year
- Alcorn State, MS
-
1.0 | 1 reviews
Alcorn State is a public historically Black university known for undergraduate agriculture, nursing, and biology. The rural campus sits in southwestern Mississippi.
- SAT Range 670-998
- Avg GPA 3.2
- Acceptance Rate 45%
- Net Price $12,376
Prairie View A & M University
- Public 4 Year
- Prairie View, TX
-
4.0 | 1 reviews
- Mar 1 application deadline
Prairie View A&M is a public HBCU known for undergraduate engineering, nursing, and agriculture. The small-town campus sits northwest of Houston in Prairie View.
- SAT Range 860-1080
- Avg GPA 3.3
- Acceptance Rate 79%
- Net Price $14,448
Mississippi Valley State University
- Public 4 Year
- Itta Bena, MS
-
| 0 reviews
Mississippi Valley State is a public historically Black university known for undergraduate education and business. The rural campus sits in the Mississippi Delta near Greenwood.
- SAT Range -
- Avg GPA 2.9
- Acceptance Rate 92%
- Net Price $10,232
Fort Valley State University
- Public 4 Year
- Fort Valley, GA
-
5.0 | 2 reviews
- Jun 15 application deadline
Fort Valley State is a public HBCU known for undergraduate agriculture and animal science. The residential campus is in the small city of Fort Valley in central Georgia.
- SAT Range 930-1070
- Avg GPA 2.87
- Acceptance Rate 66%
- Net Price $10,047
Bethune Cookman University
- Private 4 Year
- Daytona Beach, FL
-
| 0 reviews
Bethune-Cookman is a private historically Black university known for undergraduate nursing, education, and business. The campus sits in Daytona Beach near Florida's Atlantic coast.
- SAT Range 830-990
- Avg GPA 3.3
- Acceptance Rate 88%
- Net Price $12,476
Morgan State University
- Public 4 Year
- Baltimore, MD
-
4.2 | 5 reviews
- Apr 15 application deadline
Morgan State is a public HBCU known for undergraduate engineering, architecture, and business. The urban campus is in northeast Baltimore.
- SAT Range 840-1070
- Avg GPA 3.1
- Acceptance Rate 82%
- Net Price $15,476
West Virginia State University
- Public 4 Year
- Institute, WV
-
| 0 reviews
West Virginia State is a public historically Black university with undergraduate programs in business, education, and the sciences. The campus is in Institute, near Charleston.
- SAT Range 760-1040
- Avg GPA 3.24
- Acceptance Rate 96%
- Net Price $11,055
Alabama A & M University
- Public 4 Year
- Normal, AL
-
| 0 reviews
Alabama A&M is a public historically Black university known for undergraduate agriculture, engineering, and education. The Normal campus lies just north of Huntsville.
- SAT Range 810-1040
- Avg GPA 3.02
- Acceptance Rate 58%
- Net Price $17,152