HBCU
2 synonyms for HBCU, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.
Noun — A college or university in the United States that was founded before 1964 with the primary mission of educating Black Americans, at a time when most other institutions excluded them.
Synonyms
Rare, literary or technical
Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.
historically Black college
historically Black university
How to use HBCU
The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.
attend an HBCU
HBCU graduate
HBCU homecoming
the nation's HBCUs
Neutral and standard in American education, journalism and government policy. Almost always written as the initialism rather than spelled out.
Etymology
An initialism of historically black college or university.
Full origin of HBCU →Frequently asked questions
What does HBCU stand for?
It stands for Historically Black College or University. The term applies to US institutions established before the Civil Rights Act of 1964 whose founding purpose was the education of Black students. There are just over 100 of them, mostly in the southern states.
Can non-Black students attend an HBCU?
Yes. HBCUs admit students of every race and always have, and some now enrol substantial numbers of non-Black students. The word historically refers to the reason the institution was founded, not to who may enrol today.
What is the difference between an HBCU and a PBI?
An HBCU was founded specifically to educate Black students before 1964. A PBI, or Predominantly Black Institution, is any college that simply happens to have a mostly Black student body now, regardless of when or why it was founded.
