A slightly different question but I was reading about HBCUs and it got me thinking - are there any historically black colleges that currently have a majority of white students?
While historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) were established primarily to offer opportunities for African-Americans during a time of segregation, many have become more diverse over the years. This being said, to my knowledge, no HBCU has a majority of white students.
However, the percentage of non-black students at HBCUs has been gradually increasing. As of 2021, West Virginia State University, for example, has about a 53% non-black enrollment. While this certainly does not mean that a majority of the students are white, the student body has become comparatively more diverse.
Bluefield State College, another HBCU in West Virginia, had at one point nearly 90% of its students identifying as white, according to data from a few years back. The trend appeared to be that the school was becoming more predominately white, but recent numbers suggest this may have shifted back somewhat, and the white student population is currently around 70-75%.
It's also important to note that definitions of HBCUs are based on the institutions' historical mission rather than their present-day student demographics. Therefore, even if they now serve a more diverse group of students, they still maintain their HBCU status.
CollegeVine’s Q&A seeks to offer informed perspectives on commonly asked admissions questions. Every answer is refined and validated by our team of admissions experts to ensure it resonates with trusted knowledge in the field.