Spelman Leads the List of Top 25 HBCUs in 2020 - Do You Agree?

For all the tough news out there in the world lately, we’re happy to have some good news to share. U.S. News recently finished its 2020 Best Colleges assessment, a premier ranking of universities across the United States. As part of this assessment, they performed a specific analysis of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), with the private women's university Spelman College topping the list. 

Rankings Overview

For your convenience, here’s a brief overview of the top five ranked HBCUs.

1. Spelman College, Atlanta GA

• Enrollment: 2,171


• Tuition: $29,972

2. Howard University, Washington DC

• Enrollment: 6,243


• Tuition: $27,206

3. Xavier University, New Orleans LA 

• Enrollment: 2,568


• Tuition: $25,006

4. Hampton University, Hampton VA

• Enrollment: 3,672


• Tuition: $28,024

5. Morehouse College, Atlanta GA

• Enrollment: 2,206


• Tuition: $27,576

The Growing Prominence of HBCUs

For years, HBCUs have played a key role in expanding education access for African American communities and black students.

And as the most extensive network for information and resources related to the country's 105 Historically Black Colleges and Universities, HBCU Connect is always ready to highlight standout universities who excel at helping students meet these goals. Spelman College is one such institution.  

Where Spelman Excels 

According to the study’s methodology, universities were ranked on several quantitative and qualitative variables:

• Outcome measures


• Administrative assessments by peer HBCUs


• Student excellence


• Faculty resources


• Financial resources

These measures provide a broad picture of each HBCU, including its ability to help students succeed, long-term student retention rates, a school’s ability to promote social mobility, how schools are ranked relative to its peers, and how a school uses its resources to provide a variety of programs and services to students. 

Based on these, Spelman demonstrates an ability to provide first-rate opportunities to students, with reasonable tuition rates and moderate class sizes. This is backed by an average freshman retention rate of 90% - a key indicator of student satisfaction. 

The Value of Staying Connected

It’s great to see HBCUs like Spelman excel at their educational goals – but many others are struggling. The need for HBCUs in today’s educational climate has not made them immune to the economic pressures and rising college costs facing the U.S. education system at large. But unlike many mainstream institutions, HBCUs lack the endowments necessary to sustain them through these crises.

That’s why it’s so important for HBCUs to stay connected across institutions, alumni, students, and families. HBCUs face more pressure than ever before, and many will need to adapt and transform their processes to keep enrollment rates up. It helps to stay in touch with others undergoing the same challenges and learning from their solutions across HBCU strategies, marketing approaches, networking opportunities, and ongoing communication. 

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