HBCU

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.

Examples of HBCU in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

After returning to the United States, Stephanie pursued her legal education at Southern University Law Center (SULC) in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, one of the few remaining HBCU law schools in the country. —Stephanie Tharpe, Forbes.com, 27 May 2026

In fact, in this year’s NFL draft, not one team drafted a player who attended an HBCU. —Jemele Hill, The Atlantic, 21 May 2026

The comic is also the founder of Black Radio Solidarity, which has organized national civic radiothons for voter engagement, HBCU fundraising, and public health campaigns. —Matt Grobar, Deadline, 14 May 2026

Netflix announced Wednesday that A Different World, a sequel to the 1987-93 NBC sitcom centered on students at an HBCU, will premiere in the fall. —Rick Porter, HollywoodReporter, 13 May 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1980, in the meaning defined above