Top 3 Reasons to Attend an HBCU
Photo by Yan Krukau
Are you a high school student asking: "Should I Attend An HBCU?"
Hear from recent HBCU graduates about their reasons for attending an HBCU and how their experiences proved valuable for their personal and professional growth.
Community Atmosphere: One of the legacies of HBCUs has been the nurturing environment, including faculty care, and the sense of family.
India Hudson, a 2023 Morgan State University graduate with a degree in Multiplatform Production explains, "I chose an HBCU because I was looking for a family-like environment and Morgan State University gave me just that."
Joshua Graves, a 2022 North Carolina A&T graduate, currently works in the Risk Management Development Program at PNC Bank. Graves "chose an HBCU because of the culture, meeting people that are similar to me but have different characteristics. Having Black professors & administrators creates a natural bond making reaching your goals a more comfortable experience. HBCUs are like a big family that uplifts one another."
Stellar Education: In addition to the famous authors, actors and leaders who attended HBCUs, current stats cited by UNCF reveal that HBCUs were responsible for 25% of African Americans receiving bachelor's degrees in STEM fields and 14% of all African American engineering degrees. Additionally, HBCUs produce 80% of the nation's Black judges.
NC A&T prepared Graves for a career in Information Technology through "career fairs every semester, tutors, events with technical companies, and certification opportunities." Hudson "was challenged everyday to better myself. The School of Global Journalism and Communication had perfect role models that helped to push me to my goals."
Affordability: Hudson also states "Morgan was pretty affordable considering that I was an in-state student." In HBCU and minority serving institutions facts and statistics, Heidi Rivera cites, "It costs students 28 percent less to attend HBCUs compared to other institutions. In fact, students at HBCUs pay an average of $24,796 for their cost of attendance versus $34,365, which is the average students pay at comparable non-HBCU colleges."
These are the top three reasons to consider attending an HBCU; continue exploring and asking questions to help you arrive at the answer that is best for you.