Historically black colleges and universities

Historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) are institutions of higher education in the United States that were established before 1964 with the intention of serving the African American community. They have always allowed admission to students of all races.

There are 107 historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) in the United States, including public and private institutions, community and four-year institutions, medical and law schools. Most were created in the aftermath of the American Civil War and are in the former slave states, although a few notable exceptions exist.

History

Most HBCUs were established after the American Civil War, often with the assistance of northern religious missionary organizations. However, Cheyney University of Pennsylvania (1837), Lincoln University (Pennsylvania) (1854), and Wilberforce University (1856), were established for blacks before the American Civil War. Established in 1865, Shaw University was the first HBCU in the South to be established after the American Civil War.