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.
historically Black colleges and universities
Examples of HBCU in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Raisa Habersham, Miami Herald, 18 Oct. 2025
In Stomp the Yard, Columbus Short stars as DJ Williams, a gifted street dancer who enrolls at a fictional HBCU to start fresh after personal tragedy.
—Okla Jones, Essence, 16 Oct. 2025
Rapper Jeezy is set to headline the fourth annual HBCU Pop Out festival at Tennessee State University.
—Audrey Gibbs, Nashville Tennessean, 15 Oct. 2025
According to the National Center for Education Statistics, non-Black students made up 24% of HBCU enrollment in 2022, compared to 15% in 1976.
—Nicquel Terry Ellis, CNN Money, 6 Oct. 2025
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Noun
The school has since expanded and been renamed Florida Memorial University and is South Florida’s only HBCU.
—Raisa Habersham, Miami Herald, 18 Oct. 2025
In Stomp the Yard, Columbus Short stars as DJ Williams, a gifted street dancer who enrolls at a fictional HBCU to start fresh after personal tragedy.
—Okla Jones, Essence, 16 Oct. 2025
Rapper Jeezy is set to headline the fourth annual HBCU Pop Out festival at Tennessee State University.
—Audrey Gibbs, Nashville Tennessean, 15 Oct. 2025
According to the National Center for Education Statistics, non-Black students made up 24% of HBCU enrollment in 2022, compared to 15% in 1976.
—Nicquel Terry Ellis, CNN Money, 6 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for HBCU
Cite this Entry
“HBCU.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/HBCU. Accessed 26 Oct. 2025.
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