The College Consensus ranking of the Best Historically Black Colleges and Universities has a broader purpose than finding the HBCUs most praised by published rankings and student reviews. It’s also an essential tool for students looking for a college or university that will best fit their needs. Whether they are looking for a supportive and inclusive community, a challenging and uplifting academic environment, or the networking opportunities of the legendarily loyal HBCU alumni, students can trust College Consensus to provide a comprehensive picture of the nation’s best HBCUs.
How Did We Make Our Ranking of the Best Historically Black Colleges & Universities?
As an aggregate ranking, College Consensus pulls together data from numerous college ranking sites, including U.S. News & World Report, WalletHub, and the Wall Street Journal. We combine those results with the most reputable student reviews, from sites including Niche, My Plan, and Unigo, creating a Publisher Rating and a Student Review Rating. The combination of these two creates the Consensus Rating, making College Consensus a comprehensive meta-ranking.
While only majority-black institutions founded before 1964 qualify as HBCUs, Historically Black Colleges and Universities are anything but history. They are vibrant, diverse, and innovative communities that fall into many categories. Some HBCUs are public research universities, making advancements in areas ranging from medicine to agriculture; others are elite liberal arts colleges, preparing students for graduate study and professional careers. Some are religious, others are secular. But whatever their background, HBCUs all share a common mission – creating a space for minority students to feel supported, empowered, and motivated to reach their full potential. The College Consensus Best HBCU ranking highlights the historically black institutions that define black excellence.
What’s Different About the College Consensus Ranking?
The College Consensus method combines information from many rankings and reviews, all of which are based on their own unique methodologies; with that approach, College Consensus show prospective students a big-picture view of the higher education landscape. With the Consensus method, the biases of other rankings are filtered out, leaving a picture of the institutions with the strongest academics, strongest student support and community, and strongest outcomes. Read more about the College Consensus methodology on the About page.
Note: The Top Consensus Ranked HBCUs are listed in descending order by their Consensus score. In the event of ties, schools are ranked in alphabetical order with the same rank number.