HBCU

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noun

ˌāch-ˌbē-ˌsē-ˈyü 

plural HBCUs

: a college or university in the U.S. established before 1964 for African American students : a historically Black college or university

the state's largest HBCU

Note: The term HBCU was created as a federal designation during the 1986 reauthorization of the Higher Education Act of 1965, which expanded federal funding for colleges and universities.

HBCU

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abbreviation

historically Black colleges and universities

Examples of HBCU in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

In Week 3 of the HBCU schedule, Tennessee State topped Florida A&M and Benedict stayed unbeaten, along with Morehouse getting its first win for coach Brad Sherrod. — Wilton Jackson, AJC.com, 25 Sep. 2026

The show was so monumental that HBCU enrollment rose by 26%, most likely due to the show’s popularity. — Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 24 Sep. 2026

With the new ranking, UMES jumped nine spots from where the college placed last year in the public HBCU category. — Michelle Richardson, CBS News, 22 Sep. 2026

That growth was on display Sunday at Hard Rock Stadium, where generations of HBCU supporters gathered for the latest edition of a game with roots stretching back more than nine decades. — Miami Herald, 7 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1980, in the meaning defined above