What Does HBCU Stand For?

What does HBCU stand for, and what makes a school one?

Break the letters apart and the meaning is clear:

• H, Historically: the label refers to the school's origins.
• B, Black: the schools were created mainly to serve Black Americans.
• C, Colleges and U, Universities: the group includes small colleges, large universities, two year schools and a few with law or medical programs.

The Higher Education Act of 1965 set the official test. An HBCU must have been founded before 1964, must have had the education of Black Americans as its principal mission, and must be accredited. Because the cutoff date is fixed, no new school can join the list today.

A short history of HBCUs

Before the Civil War, very few colleges admitted Black students, and in much of the South it was illegal to teach enslaved people to read. A small number of schools opened in the North before the war. Cheyney University of Pennsylvania, founded in 1837, is generally counted as the oldest.

Most HBCUs were founded in the decades after the war, by churches, missionary groups, freed people and state governments. A federal law in 1890 led many Southern states to create public land grant colleges for Black students, which is why several schools carry "A&M," agricultural and mechanical, or "A&T," agricultural and technical, in their names. For generations these schools trained a large share of the country's Black teachers, doctors, lawyers and ministers.

Where HBCUs are and what they look like today

There are about 100 HBCUs. Most are in Southern states, with others in places such as Pennsylvania, Ohio, Delaware, Maryland and the District of Columbia. They include public and private schools, some tied to a church and some not.

A few well known names show the range:

HBCUs are open to students of all races, and many enroll students from a wide mix of backgrounds. Campus life is known for traditions such as homecoming weekends and show style marching bands.

Using the HBCU acronym in writing and speech

• Say it letter by letter: aitch, bee, see, you.
• Article: write "an HBCU," because the letter H is spoken with a vowel sound, "aitch."
• Plural: HBCUs, just add a small s at the end.
• Capitals: all four letters are capitalized, and "Black" is capitalized in the full form.

HBCU in example sentences

• "My grandmother and my mother both graduated from the same HBCU."
• "He is touring three HBCUs in Georgia over spring break."
• "The HBCU band competition drew a huge crowd."
• "She chose an HBCU for its strong engineering program."
• "Our counselor keeps a binder of HBCU scholarships open to juniors."

Notice that in each line the letters work like an adjective or a noun, never as a verb.

Related school terms

HBCU is one of several labels for colleges with a particular history or student body. A PWI is a predominantly white institution, a phrase often used in contrast with HBCUs. An HSI is a Hispanic Serving Institution, a status based on current enrollment rather than founding mission. Tribal colleges serve Native American communities. When you apply to any of these schools, you will also run into letters like GPA, SAT and FAFSA. Find more on the school acronyms page.