In the United States, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) are highly respected institutions of higher education. HBCUs were created with the intention of providing quality education to African Americans who were largely excluded from other colleges and universities.
Today, HBCUs continue to play an important role in the educational landscape of America. While many of them have selective admissions and offer rigorous academics, Howard University is widely considered to be the most prestigious HBCU, as of 2024. It has the highest endowment, most stringent admissions standards, and highest graduation rate of any coed HBCU. It’s also steeped in history, boasting a long list of highly successful alums.
Table of Contents
Why Is Howard University the Most Prestigious HBCU?
Howard University is the most prestigious HBCU in America and has been referred to in many places, including right here on College Jaguar, as the Harvard of HBCUs.
What makes Howard so elite compared to other HBCUs? It has the most selective admissions standards, the highest graduation rate (with the notable exception of all-female Spelman College), the highest endowment, the most history, and arguably the most successful outcomes for graduates.
It Has the Most Selective Admissions Standards
Howard University is the most selective HBCU in the United States. It gets the most applicants and has the highest incoming student stats of any coed HBCU.
In 2023, Howard received more than 30,000 applicants for the class of 2027 and accepted just over 10,000 of those applicants, giving it an acceptance rate of less than 35 percent.
The school’s most recent class of incoming freshmen had an average ACT score of 25 and an average SAT score of 1,195. These scores are substantially higher than the national averages for each test (20 for the ACT and 1,050 for the SAT). The only HBCU in America with higher incoming student stats is Spelman College, which only admits female students.
To get into Howard, a typical student needs to have more than above-average grades and test scores and a high class rank. Because Howard is a writing-intensive school, it looks for students with demonstrated communication skills. That means your admissions rep will be reading your essay closely, not just skimming over it.
Howard also wants students who will get involved on campus, not ones who return to their dorms after class every day and shut the door. Therefore, it places a heavy emphasis on extracurricular activities, particularly ones that show leadership abilities.
It Has a High Graduation Rate
The graduation rate at Howard is also higher than at any other HBCU except Spelman. Over the last five years, Howard’s six-year graduation rate has averaged 64 percent. For reference, the six-year graduation rate for all colleges and universities in the United States is less than 60 percent, putting Howard solidly above the average.
HBCUs in general tend to struggle with graduation rates for a few reasons. Compared to traditional schools, they admit a much higher percentage of students who come from economically disadvantaged backgrounds. Some of these students end up having to leave school because of financial hardships that are no fault of their own.
Also, the share of students at a typical HBCU who are the first members of their families to attend college is huge. Studies have repeatedly shown that first-generation students graduate at much lower rates than students with one or more degree-holding parents.
Despite these factors working against Howard, it still manages to maintain a graduation rate that is above the national average and climbing rapidly.
Howard University Has the Highest Endowment Among HBCUs
Howard’s endowment is more than $800 million, the highest of any HBCU. The school’s wealth enables it to offer generous financial aid to economically disadvantaged students. This helps Howard admit the best applicants possible, without regard to their financial situation or ability to pay.
Most HBCUs, on the other hand, lack such robust endowments. In fact, many are struggling just to keep their doors open. When colleges lack strong endowment funds, they have to rely on tuition dollars to remain in operation. This is a razor’s-edge existence, particularly with the demographic cliff fast approaching.
Poorly endowed colleges also tend to maintain need-aware admissions policies, meaning applicants who are capable of paying full freight or who need minimal financial aid are more likely to get in. Fortunately, Howard has none of these issues.
It Is Steeped in History
Howard has the richest history of any HBCU. It was founded in 1867 in Washington, D.C., and for centuries has educated many of the most prominent African American leaders in America. Howard alums over the years have reached the top echelons of just about every industry you can think of, including politics, business, and entertainment.
Here is just a short sampling of Howard’s most successful alumni over the years:
- Vice President Kamala Harris
- United States Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall
- Author Toni Morrison
- United States Congressman Elijah Cummings
- Author Zora Neale Hurston
- New York City Mayor David Dinkins
- New York State Attorney General Letitia James
- United States Senator Roland Burris
Its Graduates Have Excellent Outcomes
Howard’s list of highly successful alumni is far from limited to the household names you see above. The school has produced more African American doctors and lawyers than any other HBCU, along with CEOs, CFOs, CPAs, and graduates who’ve started their own businesses and turned them into thriving multibillion-dollar empires.
Howard also places a high percentage of graduates into prestigious graduate and doctoral programs.
The average starting salary of a Howard graduate is more than $60,000 per year. The average mid-career salary is closer to $90,000. In certain fields, such as business, a Howard alum can expect to make well over $100,000 per year within 10 years of graduation.
