Black Enterprise Magazine recently announced its biennial list of the 50 Best Colleges & Universities for African Americans. Attaining the No. 1 ranking for 2004 is Morehouse College, Atlanta, Ga. Founded in 1867 as the Augusta Institute in Augusta, Georgia, Morehouse is the nation's only private, historically black, four-year, liberal arts college for men. The college enrolls approximately 3,000 students and graduates about 500 each year, conferring bachelor's degrees on more black men than any other college or university in the United States. Distinguished alumni include Martin Luther King Jr., '48; Olympic gold medallist Edwin C. Moses, '78; and renowned filmmaker Shelton "Spike" Lee, ’79.

Historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) assume a special responsibility for teaching students about the history and culture of black people. In fact, HBCUs hold seven of the top 10 positions on this year's Top 50 list. Included is No. 2, Hampton University, Hampton, Va.; No. 3, Spelman College, Atlanta, Ga.; No. 4, Howard University, Washington, D.C.; No. 5, Xavier University, New Orleans, La.; No. 6, Florida A&M University, Tallahassee, Fla.; and No. 10, Clark Atlanta University, Atlanta, Ga. Despite rising college enrollment for people of color, black students still lag behind their white counterparts in degree attainment. The issue, then, is not simply a matter of being accepted and going to college, but also about making sure the school meets the particular needs of the students. Typically, families base their choices on several factors: overall cost, financial aid, location, and the school's academic reputation. A combination of these factors will help determine if attendance at an HBCU, or a predominantly white institution is the best fit for a student's needs. Rounding out the Top 10 is No. 7, Stanford University, Stanford, Ca.; No. 8, Columbia University, New York, N.Y.; and No. 9, Georgetown University, Washington, D.C.

The BE Top 50 Colleges for African Americans report debuted in January 1999 developed in collaboration with Thomas A. LaVeist, Ph.D., author of the DayStar Guide to College for African American Students (Kaplan, Inc. and Simon & Schuster) and Associate Professor of Health & Public Policy at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Md. Four hundred and eighty-two colleges were selected based on one of two criteria: 1) They are accredited four-year colleges in which black enrollment was at least 3%; or 2) a large well-known college or university. A group of 1,855 black college presidents, chancellors, admissions directors, and recruiters were asked to rate them based on whether they felt the institutions provided a good social and educational environment for African American students. The 2003 DayStar rating was calculated by weighing the percentage of black undergrads, average survey scores on the schools’ social and academic environments, and the 2001 rating. The results were then narrowed to the published Top 50.

View schools 1-25.
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