The national interest in HBCUs keeps skyrocketing as Howard University experiences a record number of applicants for the class of 2028. The university's flagship student newspaper, The Hilltop, did a study on the recent explosion of applications to Howard over the past few years. In just one year, Howard saw a 12 percent increase in applications from 33,000 in 2023 to 37,000 in 2024. The university had to lower its acceptance rate due to the overload of interest, dropping it from 36 percent to “about 30 to 32 percent,” according to Undergraduate Admissions Officer Andrew Taylor.
While there isn't a clear, number one reason for the uptick in admissions over the past few years, Assistant Director for Undergraduate Admissions Karina Sanchez believes the inauguration of Vice President Kamala Harris may have some impact. Harris is a proud graduate of Howard University and has visited multiple HBCUs throughout her term. She was particularly vocal about her alma mater in December when Howard played Florida A&M in the Celebration Bowl at the Atlanta Falcons' stadium in Georgia.
The Hilltop interviewed several incoming students about their decision to come to Howard.
“I was really excited,” said Clarisa Kandakai, a prospective English major and political science minor from Prince George's County, Maryland. “I was really nervous because out of all the schools I applied to I thought that would be the one school that wouldn't accept me.”
Kandakai also considered local HBCUs like Hampton and Bowie State, but she ultimately settled on Howard. “After visiting and looking into all of the schools, I just felt like Howard was the one,” she said. “I loved the campus and organizations.”
Josiah Smith, an incoming broadcast and digital journalism major from Louisiana, had a similar story to Kandakai's.
“Howard feels like the perfect place for me,” he said. “If I end up going to Howard, I'm excited to be a Bison…experience Howard Homecoming – Yardfest and really just be surrounded by people who look like me and want me to succeed.”
Outside of their interest in Howard, another thread ties together Kandakai and Smith: their GPAs. Both students carry a 3.9 GPA, indicating the academic standard required to receive an acceptance letter. Taylor says the average GPA of their new students fell between 3.58 and 3.65, similar to last year's average of 3.65. For those who took standardized tests, the averages fell around 1120 and 1130 for the SAT and between 23 and 24 for the ACT.
“Those credentials typically don't change too much,” Taylor said. Howard University isn't just accepting more students regardless of GPA to boost admission rates. From their reports, it seems like they are receiving more applications from quality students nationwide.