College Application Guide for HBCU Students | BestColleges (2023)

FAQs

What are the requirements to apply to a HBCU? ›

The typical GPAs for students accepted into many HBCUs schools range from 2.5-3.0. Other HBCUs may require higher GPAs. For example, students accepted at Hampton University and Florida A&M had average GPAs above 3.25. Additionally, some HBCUs use an open-admission policy.

The Common Black College Application is open to people interested in attending a member HBCU. The organization does not set income or race requirements. Transfer students, international students, and undocumented students can all use the Common Black College App.

There are no required essays as part of the CBCA, although students are encouraged to contact each school they're interested in to determine if essays or letters of recommendation are required separately.

Howard University, Hampton University, Spelman College, Morehouse College, Tuskegee University, and Morgan State University are among the HBCUs that opted for optional testing.

Howard University is the hardest HBCU to get into, with an acceptance rate of just 39%. If you're looking for a challenge, Howard is the school for you. Other hard-to-get-into HBCUs include Spelman College (53%), Philander Smith College (21%), and Wiley College (15%).

Spelman College is the least affordable HBCU.

The average annual net cost to attend the four-year private Atlanta school is $43,843.

Florida A&M University

#1 Best HBCU Schools in America.

Howard University is the most selective HBCU in the United States.

Can I apply to all the HBCUs at once? ›

The Common Black College Application is an affordable college application that can be used to apply to multiple HBCUs across the country - all at once. Using this application is a great option for students who want to apply to HBCUs while cutting down on traditionally high college application costs.

Test-optional means they will not require students to submit SAT or ACT scores as a part of the admissions requirements. Though many HBCUs have been offering this option as well for students, there is a catch.

Southern University at New Orleans is a historically black college or university (HBCU) that accepts students with a GPA of 2.5 or higher.

HBCUs were created to support higher education for Black students nationwide. HBCUs account for 3% of colleges and universities across the country. Some HBCUs enroll up to 40% white students. Black culture and traditions continue to play an important role at HBCUs.

In general, many US colleges and universities accept applicants with 16 or 17 ACT scores. In fact, an ACT score of 16 or lower is accepted by 33 schools.

The ACT challenges test-takers with a total of 215 questions across four sections. Complex reading passages and tricky math questions can make the ACT difficult for some. Taking ACT practice tests and learning key strategies can make the test easier for you.

Average admissions requirements across all 105 HBCUs—including public and private schools and two- year colleges—are a 2.5 GPA and an 18 on the ACT or a 905 on the SAT (Montgomery County Public Schools, 2014). Seventy-five percent of all HBCUs have a minimum standardized test score requirement.

What is the safest HBCU? ›

Alarms.org has named its safest college campuses in the nation and Fayetteville State University (FSU) is on the list. FSU is the safest historically black college and university (HBCU) in North Carolina, the fourth safest in the state, and ranks 119 out of 500 schools in the nation.

It opened in the late 19th century as the Bluefield Colored Institute, created to educate the children of black coal miners in segregated West Virginia. Although it still receives the federal funding that comes with its designation as a historically black institution, today Bluefield State College is 90 percent white.

Below is a ranking of the 3620 colleges in the United States with the highest percent of black students. Apex School of Theology tops the list with African Americans comprising 100% of the student population.

Washington, DC's Howard University is a private Black Ivy League institution that offers undergraduate, graduate, and professional degrees. With over 120 academic programs, Howard is one of the most academically diverse HBCUs.

Institute, West Virginia. West Virginia State University was established in 1891. Established in 1891 as the West Virginia Colored Institute, West Virginia State University is an HBCU and the smallest land-grant institution in the country.

Howard University

https://home.howard.edu/ Established: 1867. Often called "The Harvard of HBCUs," Howard boasts the largest endowment of black colleges and continues to lead in research and innovation among historically black institutions.

The “youngest” four-year HBCU, a designation to mark schools founded before 1964 with the intention of serving the black community, is the University of Virgin Islands, which opened in 1962. Schools founded after 1964, like the Charles R.

The history of African Americans and higher education is a long one, with roots reaching as far back as the Civil War. The oldest HBCU still in operation is Cheyney University of Pennsylvania, founded in 1837.

HBCUs with high acceptance rates include Miles College, Selma University, Langston University, and Morris University. All of these schools accept 100% of their applicants. Several additional HBCUs have acceptance rates of 90% or higher.

Which HBCU has the most beautiful campus? ›

Tuskegee University (Tuskegee, Alabama)

Prospective students can apply to dozens of HBCUs for a single $20 fee using the Common Black College Application.

HBCUs are not especially difficult to get into, but they are not a shoe-in either. The average acceptance rate at an HBCU is 59%. In terms of test scores, the mid-50th percentile SAT math range is 420-520 and verbal range is 430-530.

Write only one essay (plus any supplements).

You'll submit one essay through the Common Application for all your schools. Some colleges may ask you to also answer a few supplemental questions. Check out the 2018-2019 Common App essay prompts now so you can start strategizing!

Some colleges may accept all of these forms of applications and some schools may only accept one form. However, the Common Application is generally the best choice, as this application is most widely used across the country.

Hartwick College: Test-Optional permanently. Harvard University: Test-Optional for 2023, 2024, 2025, 2026. Harvey Mudd College: Test-Optional for 2023. Haverford College: Test-Optional for 2023.

A: The Exchange Program is open to all undergraduate students with a minimum 2.5 GPA (some schools require a 3.0 GPA). You must be a sophomore (at the time of application). One year in residence at Howard is required.

Can you get into college without taking the SAT or ACT? ›

Yes. Students can attend college without taking the SAT test. Some schools require the ACT test.

What GPA do you need to get into an HBCU? The typical GPAs for students accepted into many HBCUs schools range from 2.5-3.0. Other HBCUs may require higher GPAs. For example, students accepted at Hampton University and Florida A&M had average GPAs above 3.25.

Unofficially, 2.0 is the lowest GPA accepted into a standard college, so while there's a chance that college admission is possible, it's not likely at more than a few institutions.

BPS data also reveal that Black students at HBCUs are more likely to receive Pell grants, more likely to have a high school grade point average under 2.5, and less likely to have taken any advanced placement courses in high school.

Students of any race and ethnicity can apply for an HBCU, provided that they meet the grade requirements. Usually when applying for university in the US, you're required to fill out one application per school.

Both Black and white teachers trained at an historically black college or university (HBCU) helped Black students do better in math. Almost one out of 10 teachers in North Carolina graduated from an HBCU. Though not a large number, a quarter of these HBCU-trained teachers were white.

HBCUs are not especially difficult to get into, but they are not a shoe-in either. The average acceptance rate at an HBCU is 59%. In terms of test scores, the mid-50th percentile SAT math range is 420-520 and verbal range is 430-530. Similarly, the mid-50th percentile ACT composite score range is 16-20.

HBCUs were created to support higher education for Black students nationwide. HBCUs account for 3% of colleges and universities across the country. Some HBCUs enroll up to 40% white students.

Test-optional

HBCUs still use merit-based financial aid, so the aid students receive is still dependent on their test scores and GPA. If students want to get aid or scholarships, they should still take the SAT or ACT in order to qualify.

Can you get a full ride to an HBCU? ›

Many HBCUs offer partial and full scholarships to enrolled students. Learners should inquire about these institutional scholarships when applying to college. Additionally, local chapters of Black fraternities and sororities, alumni chapters, and other organizations offer scholarships, including those described below.

1. Howard University. Howard University is a private co-educational college in Washington DC.

Alabama leads the nation with the number of HBCUs, followed by North Carolina, then Georgia.

Most and least affordable HBCUs

Coahoma Community College in Clarksdale, Miss., is the most affordable HBCU in the U.S. This two-year public school has a net cost of $1,004, less than half that of the next college — Elizabeth City State University, a four-year public school in North Carolina — at $2,350.

consistently outperform non-HBCUs in student experience, affordability, and after college preparedness for Black students. HBCUs provide students something they can't get anywhere else — a diverse & inclusive community of scholarship that celebrates the richness of the entire American experience.