HBCU

An acronym for an historically Black college or university. An HBCU is an accredited institution of higher education, either public or private, established before the Civil Rights Act of 1964 with a principal mission of educating Black Americans. There are 101 HBCUs in the U.S., with Cheyney University of Pennsylvania, established in 1837, as the nation’s first. HBCUs enroll a significant population of first-generation, low-income students. HBCUs provide an education to students of all races but with specific history and programs that benefit African-Americans.