New rankings highlight the top 500 universities in America, with 14 HBCUs earning spots, including eight public institutions.
The Wall Street Journal/College Pulse rankings focus on how effectively colleges set students up for financial success. WSJ explains that the rankings evaluate “how well each college sets graduates up for financial success … how much a school improves students’ chances of graduating and their future earnings. We don’t measure reputation, nor the college’s finances.”
WSJ ranked 500 U.S. private and public universities based on three key factors student outcomes, learning environment, and diversity.
The Wall Street Journal/College Pulse rankings assess universities in three main areas. The largest factor, Student Outcomes at 70%, examines how well colleges boost graduates' salaries, how long it takes to pay off education costs, and how effectively they graduate students compared to expectations. Learning Environment, which accounts for 20%, focuses on student satisfaction with teaching quality, career preparation, campus facilities, and whether students would recommend their school.
Lastly, Diversity makes up 10% and measures how often students engage with people from different backgrounds, the level of ethnic diversity, and the support available for low-income students and those with disabilities. Additional factors include the average cost of attendance and the impact of a college degree on graduates' earnings.
North Carolina A&T leads the public HBCU campuses, followed by Florida A&M, North Carolina Central, Prairie View A&M, Tennessee State, Savannah State, Jackson State, and Alcorn State University.
In the private HBCU category, Spelman College tops the list, followed by Tuskegee University, Howard University, Xavier University of Louisiana, Morehouse College, and Clark Atlanta University.
North Carolina A&T also ranks among 13 North Carolina campuses, with Davidson College, Duke University, and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill leading the state. Both A&T and UNC-CH are part of the nine ranked schools within the UNC system.
The public HBCUs are (in order):
- North Carolina A&T
- Florida A&M University
- North Carolina Central University
- Prairie View University
- Tennessee State University
- Savannah State University
- Jackson State University
- Alcorn State University
The private HBCUs are (in order)
- Spelman College
- Tuskegee University
- Howard University
- Xavier University of Louisiana
- Morehouse College
- Clark Atlanta University
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