Best Southern HBCUs
This ranking lists 88 historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) in the South, schools established to educate Black students when segregation shut them out of most colleges. Today they remain known for affordability, mentorship, and campus culture, and they welcome students of all backgrounds.
Leading our 2027 rankings is Spelman College in Atlanta, Georgia, topping our list in the South. Also highly ranked: Xavier University of Louisiana, Fisk University and Tuskegee University.
Compare tuition, enrollment, acceptance rates, and majors across the HBCUs below. Rankings follow the CollegeSimply methodology, blending academics, cost, outcomes, and selectivity. Sort by cost, selectivity, or enrollment to find the school that fits you.
List of HBCUs
H Councill Trenholm State Community College
- Public 2 Year
- Montgomery, AL
-
3.0 | 4 reviews
Trenholm State is a public community college known for career and technical programs and allied health. The Montgomery campus is a historically Black two-year college.
- SAT Range -
- Avg GPA NA
- Acceptance Rate 100%
- Net Price $7,960
Arkansas Baptist College
- Private 4 Year
- Little Rock, AR
-
1.0 | 1 reviews
Arkansas Baptist is a small private historically Black college known for undergraduate business and religious studies. The urban Little Rock campus maintains a Baptist church affiliation.
- SAT Range -
- Avg GPA 2.6
- Acceptance Rate 100%
- Net Price $10,627
Philander Smith University
- Private 4 Year
- Little Rock, AR
-
| 0 reviews
Philander Smith is a private historically Black university known for undergraduate liberal arts. The urban campus sits in Little Rock.
- SAT Range -
- Avg GPA 3.04
- Acceptance Rate 100%
- Net Price $14,082
Edward Waters University
- Private 4 Year
- Jacksonville, FL
-
| 0 reviews
Edward Waters is a private historically Black university known for undergraduate business, criminal justice, and education. The urban Jacksonville campus is affiliated with the African Methodist Episcopal Church.
- SAT Range 820-990
- Avg GPA 2.64
- Acceptance Rate 85%
- Net Price $12,029
Florida Memorial University
- Private 4 Year
- Miami Gardens, FL
-
| 0 reviews
- Jul 1 application deadline
Florida Memorial is a private historically Black university known for undergraduate aviation and education. The campus is located in suburban Miami Gardens near Miami.
- SAT Range -
- Avg GPA 2.7
- Acceptance Rate 85%
- Net Price $21,679
Morehouse College
- Private 4 Year
- Atlanta, GA
-
| 0 reviews
- Feb 1 application deadline
Morehouse is a private historically Black men's college known for undergraduate business, political science, and biology. The urban Atlanta campus is part of the Atlanta University Center consortium with neighboring HBCUs.
- SAT Range -
- Avg GPA 3.48
- Acceptance Rate 44%
- Net Price $36,292
Paine College
- Private 4 Year
- Augusta, GA
-
| 0 reviews
- Jul 1 application deadline
Paine is a private historically Black liberal arts college with undergraduate programs in education and business. The small urban campus sits in Augusta along the Savannah River.
- SAT Range 776-976
- Predicted Avg GPA 2.81
- Acceptance Rate 95%
- Net Price $15,935
Southern University at New Orleans
- Public 4 Year
- New Orleans, LA
-
| 0 reviews
- Jul 1 application deadline
Southern University at New Orleans is a public HBCU known for undergraduate social work, criminal justice, and business. The urban campus occupies a site in New Orleans's Gentilly area.
- SAT Range 820-1050
- Avg GPA 2.4
- Acceptance Rate 79%
- Net Price $14,480
Southern University at Shreveport
- Public 2 Year
- Shreveport, LA
-
| 0 reviews
Southern University at Shreveport is a public two-year HBCU community college known for associate programs in nursing and allied health. The urban campus serves commuting students in Shreveport.
- SAT Range -
- Avg GPA 2.0
- Acceptance Rate 100%
- Net Price $9,832
Coahoma Community College
- Public 2 Year
- Clarksdale, MS
-
| 0 reviews
Coahoma is a public community college known for associate programs in nursing and career-technical fields. It is an HBCU on a small campus in the Mississippi Delta town of Clarksdale.
- SAT Range -
- Avg GPA NA
- Acceptance Rate 100%
- Net Price -
Hinds Community College
- Public 2 Year
- Raymond, MS
-
5.0 | 1 reviews
A public community college offering associate degrees and career-technical programs. The main campus is in the small town of Raymond near the Jackson metro area.
- SAT Range -
- Avg GPA 2.25
- Acceptance Rate 100%
- Net Price $3,985
Rust College
- Private 4 Year
- Holly Springs, MS
-
5.0 | 2 reviews
Rust is a private historically Black liberal arts college known for undergraduate teacher education and the social sciences. The small campus sits in the town of Holly Springs in northern Mississippi.
- SAT Range 440-1339
- Avg GPA 2.66
- Acceptance Rate 49%
- Net Price $12,037
Bennett College
- Private 4 Year
- Greensboro, NC
-
| 0 reviews
Bennett is a private historically Black women's college known for undergraduate education, social work, and the liberal arts. The small residential campus in Greensboro is one of only two remaining HBCUs dedicated exclusively to women.
- SAT Range 820-1060
- Predicted Avg GPA 2.74
- Acceptance Rate 51%
- Net Price $26,990
Livingstone College
- Private 4 Year
- Salisbury, NC
-
| 0 reviews
Livingstone is a private historically Black college known for undergraduate education, business, and social work. The residential campus sits in Salisbury in North Carolina's Piedmont region.
- SAT Range 800-960
- Predicted Avg GPA 2.64
- Acceptance Rate 59%
- Net Price $12,826
Saint Augustine's University
- Private 4 Year
- Raleigh, NC
-
| 0 reviews
Saint Augustine's is a private historically Black university with undergraduate programs in business, education, and the sciences. The compact urban campus sits in Raleigh.
- SAT Range 780-940
- Avg GPA 2.5
- Acceptance Rate 34%
- Net Price $19,688
Shaw University
- Private 4 Year
- Raleigh, NC
-
| 0 reviews
- Jul 30 application deadline
Shaw is a private HBCU known for undergraduate business, education, and social work. The urban campus in Raleigh is the oldest historically Black college in the South.
- SAT Range -
- Avg GPA 2.6
- Acceptance Rate 80%
- Net Price $16,445
Langston University
- Public 4 Year
- Langston, OK
-
5.0 | 1 reviews
Langston is a public HBCU known for undergraduate agriculture, nursing, and education. Most students study on a rural campus in the small town of Langston.
- SAT Range -
- Avg GPA 2.79
- Acceptance Rate 100%
- Net Price $10,496
Allen University
- Private 4 Year
- Columbia, SC
-
| 0 reviews
- Jul 1 application deadline
Allen is a small private university with undergraduate programs in business, religion, and the liberal arts. It is an HBCU with historic ties to the African Methodist Episcopal Church.
- SAT Range -
- Avg GPA NA
- Acceptance Rate 73%
- Net Price $11,182