The 9 HBCUs in Texas: Which One is Right for You?
What’s Covered:
The U.S. Department of Education identifies 107 schools as Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), 104 of which are currently operational. What is an HBCU? HBCUs are institutions of higher education that were originally founded before 1946 with the intent of educating African-American students.
There are nine HBCUs in Texas, representing just under 10% of all the nation’s HBCUs. Texas trails behind just Alabama (16), Georgia (12), and North Carolina (12), the states with the most HBCUs. If you’re interested in attending an HBCU in Texas, keep reading to learn more about these important institutions.
The 9 HBCUs in Texas
1. Prairie View A&M University | PVAMU
Location: Prairie View, TX
Acceptance Rate: 75%
Undergraduate Enrollment: 8,101
Established in 1876, Prairie View A&M University holds the distinction of being the second-oldest public institution of higher education in Texas and the first state-supported college in the State for African Americans. Over the University’s nearly 150-year history, it has awarded more than 82,000 academic degrees.
Today, PVAMU is known for its top-notch education, low student-to-faculty ratio (16:1), Division I athletics, gorgeous campus, and Panther Lanes (a community bowling center). PVAMU is also one of just five HBCUs designated as an All-Steinway School, a commitment to providing their students and faculty with only the finest pianos—from practice to performance—for the study of music in higher education.
2. Texas Southern University | TSU
Location: Houston, TX
Acceptance Rate: 93%
Undergraduate Enrollment: 6,844
Located in the heart of Houston’s Third Ward, a predominantly Black community, is Texas Southern University. Home to just under 7,000 undergraduates, more than 8,600 total students, and over 1,400 staff and faculty members, the University serves as a cultural and community center in Houston. TSU is known equally well for its rigorous undergraduate programs and its professional schools and graduate programs, such as the Thurgood Marshall School of Law.
While TSU is proud of its academics and athletics (they play in the Division I Southwestern Athletic Conference), the school’s band, Ocean of Soul, steals the spotlight—most notably, Ocean of Soul performed during the halftime show of Super Bowl XXXVIII.
3. Huston-Tillotson University | HT
Location: Austin, TX
Acceptance Rate: 52%
Undergraduate Enrollment: 1,614
While not as large or recognizable as its Austin neighbor, the University of Texas, the small and private Huston-Tillotson University does have the distinction of being the first institution of higher learning to call the city home.
HT’s core curriculum is known for its diversity component—students are required to take six hours of diversity-focused courses, three of which must have an African/African Diaspora focus. Huston-Tillotson is another one of the four HBCUs that have the honor of being named an All-Steinway School.
4. Jarvis Christian College
Location: Hawkins, TX
Acceptance Rate: N/A
Undergraduate Enrollment: 700
Located approximately 100 miles southeast of Dallas, Jarvis Christian College’s rural campus provides a peaceful place to study, while offering easy access to more metropolitan areas. Established in 1913, Jarvis Christian College began as Jarvis Christian Institute and was modeled after the Southern Christian Institute of Edwards, Mississippi. It has been affiliated with the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) since its inception.
The school is well-regarded for its teacher certification programs. It’s also home to the East Texas Natural History Collection Museum.
5. Wiley College
Location: Marshall, TX
Acceptance Rate: N/A
Undergraduate Enrollment: 798
Founded in 1873 by the Freedman’s Aid Society of the Methodist Episcopal Church on the tenets of scholarship and service, Wiley College has been delivering a faith-based liberal arts education for more than 150 years.
The college is known for its debate team, which earned national attention when it debated—and defeated—the University of Southern California (the defending national champion) in 1935. This victory inspired the movie The Great Debaters. This historic feat led the movie’s director and star, Denzel Washington, to donate $1 million to revive the school’s debate team.
6. Southwestern Christian College | SwCC
Location: Terrell, TX
Acceptance Rate: N/A
Undergraduate Enrollment: 134
Founded in 1948 by members of the Churches of Christ as the Southern Bible Institute, Southwestern Christian College remains committed to helping its students fully understand the concepts of “Christian Living.”
The school offers one bachelor’s degree program in Religious Education. It also provides two associate degree programs—an Associate of Arts and an Associate of Science. On SwCC’s campus, you’ll find the Robert A. Terrell home, a Texas historic landmark, and one of just two octagonal houses left in Texas.
7. Texas College
Location: Tyler, TX
Acceptance Rate: N/A
Undergraduate Enrollment: 872
Texas College is located 100 miles east of Dallas in the city of Tyler. Founded in 1894 by a group of ministers from the Christian Methodist Episcopal Church (CME Church), the school remains affiliated with the CME Church today. Texas College is a residential college that offers 12 bachelor’s degrees within four divisions:
- Biology
- Business Administration
- Computer Science
- Criminal Justice
- English
- General Studies
- Interdisciplinary Studies
- Mathematics
- Music
- Religion
- Social Work
- Sociology
8. Paul Quinn College
Location: Dallas, TX
Acceptance Rate: 34%
Undergraduate Enrollment: 600
Originally established in 1872 by a group of African Methodist Episcopal Church preachers to educate freed slaves and their children, Paul Quinn College continues to deliver a faith-based education today. It’s the oldest HBCU west of the Mississippi.
Since 2015, Paul Quinn College has operated under a financial structure called the “New Urban College Model,” designed to ensure that students graduate with the skills, habits, and experience to compete in the job market while reducing student debt. Paul Quinn is also the first member of the Work Colleges Consortium from Texas, as well as the first Minority Serving Institution to join the group.
9. St. Philip’s College
Location: San Antonio, TX
Acceptance Rate: N/A
Undergraduate Enrollment: 14,281
St. Philip’s College is the only college in the nation to be recognized as both a Historically Black College and a Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI). The westernmost HBCU in Texas (and in the country), St. Philip’s has a history similar to that of many other HBCUs: it was originally established to educate and train recently emancipated slaves.
St. Philip’s has a student-to-faculty ratio of 30:1 and an average class size of 23.6 students. Civic engagement is important at St. Philip’s College; students participate in activities ranging from a community garden to an annual Juneteenth Parade to Jessica’s Project—a program connecting STEM topics to issues affecting the local community.
How to Apply to an HBCU
The application process for Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) is largely similar to that of other colleges, although there are some key differences. Notably, some HBCUs do not utilize the Common Application, which means you may need to complete individual applications for these schools. More than 70 HBCUs use the Common Black College Application—a platform that allows students to apply to participating schools for a flat fee of $20.
When applying to a Historically Black College or University, your application should clearly convey your interest in attending an HBCU. Your essays, for example, are a great opportunity to express why you are drawn to the unique culture, history, and educational experiences that HBCUs offer.
As with any college application process, creating a thoughtful school list and conducting in-depth research on each prospective institution is paramount. Understanding a school’s mission, academic programs, campus life, and community can help you make a well-informed decision and show genuine interest when applying.
Researching schools and understanding your chances of acceptance can be an involved process. Luckily, CollegeVine’s free chancing engine can streamline the college application process for you. This tool considers factors such as grades, test scores, extracurriculars, and more to estimate your odds of getting into hundreds of colleges and universities, including many HBCUs. It also provides insight into how to improve your profile! Leverage this resource to navigate your college application process with more confidence.
