WHY CHOOSE AN HBCU?
“I insist that the object of all true education is not to make men carpenters, it is to make carpenters men.”
– W.E.B Du Bois
Historically Black Colleges and Universities are smaller higher-education institutions with close-knit communities that can provide noticeably good value for the money. Most have fewer than 5,000 students where small class sizes can make it easier to know classmates and form helpful relationships with professors. Lower student to faculty ratios can mean that faculty will know who you are and are potentially better able to help students achieve success.
Most HBCU’s are not located in large cities, so students are more likely to spend significant time together outside of class. When you mix this family feel with school pride, you get a college community that can influence your life long after you graduate.
Similar to other universities, professors come from all over the world to work at HBCU’s. Each are proud to work at a historically Black college or university, and to help students learn in ways that will help them become part of the next generation of changemakers. HBCU’s only represent about three percent of the country's colleges but educate 10% of all African-American students and 20% of African-Americans in STEM fields.
The academics are distinguished. For example, Xavier and Howard University medical schools graduate 92% of the country’s Black doctors. You will learn from some of the best scholars who also care about you as a human being.
What does an HBCU option have to offer?
A CONNECTION TO BLACK HISTORY
Students attending any university become familiar with the university’s history and achievements, but this is especially true for students at HBCU’s, whose campuses shaped American history in unique ways. Take Ohio’s Wilberforce University for example, founded in 1856, prior to the Civil War, and was the first higher-learning institution in America to be owned and operated by African- Americans. Students at Wilberforce take remarkable pride in their trailblazing university.
Additionally, many HBCU’s played a critical role in the Civil Rights Movement. In 1959, two Florida A&M University students led a bus boycott in Tallahassee, which led to the integration of the city’s bus system. The following year, students at Shaw University formed the SNCC, Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee, an organization that worked with Martin Luther King Jr. to carry out the Freedom Rides. Students at these schools inherit rich legacies from their universities.
CELEBRATES BLACK CULTURE
Many students attend HBCU’s to make a stronger connection with their heritage, versus the likelihood of being more isolated in predominantly white institutions. At what other point in a student’s life would they be able to be surrounded by the culture and rich diversity of the African diaspora: Blacks from St. Louis, Saint Lucia, San Francisco, Jamaica, Kenya, Eritrea… all from varying socio-economic backgrounds?
For African-American students who have never experienced such an emphasis and celebration of their culture, HBCU campus culture can be especially affirming. It is meaningful to become part of the history and legacy of HBCU’s, and courses in all subjects emphasize Black and African-American history and culture in a way you are unlikely to find at other universities. HBCU’s proudly teach that Black history.
HBCU’s aim to position students to be able to fully understand themselves and be better equipped to navigate a world that’s rarely built for them. This cultural connection sometimes is the top reason why students decide to flock to HBCU’s over other schools.
OUTSTANDING PROGRAMS IN STEM FIELDS
According to a National Science Foundation report, HBCU’s accounted for eight out of the top 10 universities that produced Black undergrads who went on to earn engineering and science doctorates. Spelman College, for example, is the “single largest collegiate producer of African-American women holding science, engineering and mathematics doctoral degrees,” according to TheBestSchools.org.
If you are considering a career in science, technology, engineering or math, you should consider an HBCU.
SUPPORTIVE ENVIRONMENT
HBCU’s emerged because many U.S. colleges and universities refused to admit Black students. The colleges were created to provide African-Americans with the skills and education to achieve success and financial security in an environment sans discrimination, an environment designed to uplift. The result is typically that each school’s commitment to Black students remains unparalleled. Graduates have noted that professors typically do not feel like professors, feeling more like family rooting for the student’s success.
UNIQUE NETWORKING OPPORTUNITIES
Most colleges will list noteworthy alumni, but HBCU’s report an extraordinary number of history-making alumni. Attending an HBCU is like joining a fraternity or sorority where you are a lifelong member: Members that help each other.
Another lesser-known fact about many HBCU’s is that recruiters from leading U.S. companies visit the schools to tap into the concentrations of top talent. HBCU’s are known as diverse institutions with high concentrations of that top talent, making them hot spots for job recruiters.
An active professional alumni network is also one of the primary draws. In a competitive job market, students know they will have an extensive network within which to search for a job after graduation.
Whether you are contemplating a STEM career, want to feel connected to Black history and culture, or simply want to attend a college that offers a supportive environment, an HBCU provides students with a close-knit atmosphere where relationships and networking can foster for life.
Incoming students hope to become part of the legacies of these schools, blaze their own trails in their respective industries, and feel that this personalized education and strong sense of community can help them do just that.
Studies also show that HBCU graduates are more prepared for post-college life and more engaged at work than non-HBCU graduates. They are more likely to thrive in all five areas of well-being: financial well-being, community well-being, purpose well-being, social well-being and physical well-being.
ALWAYS START WITH THE END IN MIND: WHAT DO I WANT TO TAKE AWAY FROM MY COLLEGE EXPERIENCE?
HOW CAN THE EXPERIENCE AFFECT THE REST OF MY LIFE’S SUCCESS?
