Chronicle List

HBCUs With the Largest Percentage Increases in First-Time Applicants, 2014-15

By Chronicle Staff

November 26, 2017

About half of the historically black colleges and universities listed below reported increases in the number of applicants from 2014 to 2015. Among them is Fort Valley State University, which made it easier for students to apply by handing out paper applications at recruitment events and also began offering in-state tuition to qualified students from three neighboring states. Even some colleges with a drop in applicants from 2014 to 2015 saw increases in first-time undergraduate enrollment over that period. Only 16 of the 52 historically black institutions on the list reported an increase in first-time enrollment from the fall of 2005 to the fall of 2015, while 30 saw an increase from the fall of 2014 to the fall of 2015.

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Rank	Institution	Change in applicants, 2005-15	Change in first-time enrollment, 2005-15	Change in applicants, 2014-15	Change in first-time enrollment, 2014-15	Applicants, 2005	First-time enrollment, 2005	Applicants, 2014	First-time enrollment, 2014	Applicants, 2015	First-time enrollment, 2015
1.	Paul Quinn College	89.3%	74.0%	192.9%	87.6%	1,713	96	1,107	89	3,242	167
2.	Fort Valley State U.	124.9%	37.2%	121.1%	96.9%	2,190	320	2,228	223	4,925	439
3.	U. of Maryland-Eastern Shore	158.2%	-0.1%	75.1%	32.6%	2,807	1,021	4,141	769	7,249	1,020
4.	Clark Atlanta U.	-7.7%	-4.2%	67.5%	17.7%	9,330	881	5,140	717	8,611	844
5.	Alcorn State U.	28.9%	27.0%	44.9%	22.1%	2,335	497	2,078	517	3,010	631
6.	Jackson State U.	-1.3%	6.6%	43.8%	3.3%	8,141	1,159	5,588	1,196	8,035	1,235
7.	Morehouse College	-9.2%	-9.5%	36.4%	10.7%	2,520	661	1,678	540	2,288	598
8.	U. of Arkansas at Pine Bluff	161.7%	-4.9%	26.9%	37.9%	1,701	719	3,508	496	4,452	684
9.	Stillman College	229.8%	-9.5%	24.4%	-22.4%	1,622	275	4,301	321	5,349	249
10.	Wilberforce U.	-39.3%	-2.7%	24.3%	451.5%	2,628	187	1,284	33	1,596	182
11.	Xavier U. of Louisiana	14.1%	4.6%	22.3%	18.1%	4,248	654	3,963	579	4,847	684
12.	Fisk U.	82.8%	0.9%	18.1%	-4.8%	1,643	214	2,544	227	3,004	216
13.	Spelman College	27.0%	6.6%	16.8%	2.5%	3,978	531	4,324	552	5,051	566
14.	Florida A&M U.	12.5%	5.5%	16.2%	14.3%	5,185	1,516	5,017	1,400	5,832	1,600
15.	West Virginia State U.	66.9%	-4.2%	16.0%	-10.8%	862	381	1,241	409	1,439	365
16.	St. Augustine’s U. (N.C.)	31.9%	-19.1%	15.6%	-20.9%	1,957	262	2,233	268	2,581	212
17.	Johnson C. Smith U.	21.2%	-24.8%	14.3%	24.6%	3,585	444	3,801	268	4,346	334
18.	Delaware State U.	120.5%	-4.6%	13.2%	0.3%	3,692	940	7,191	894	8,141	897
19.	Virginia State U.	41.6%	-28.7%	12.3%	-13.0%	4,696	1,107	5,923	907	6,650	789
20.	Howard U.	71.1%	18.4%	10.2%	13.3%	8,860	1,415	13,760	1,479	15,163	1,676
21.	Alabama State U.	-5.3%	-15.8%	8.9%	-6.1%	8,827	1,213	7,673	1,087	8,356	1,021
22.	Huston-Tillotson U.	440.3%	-13.1%	8.2%	-29.1%	409	168	2,042	206	2,210	146
23.	Morgan State U.	-53.9%	46.9%	5.9%	8.3%	11,031	795	4,808	1,078	5,090	1,168
24.	Livingstone College	188.2%	122.8%	3.5%	-7.1%	1,587	189	4,420	453	4,574	421
25.	Claflin U.	117.2%	16.9%	3.5%	15.7%	2,495	385	5,237	389	5,418	450
26.	Elizabeth City State U.	-8.8%	-52.1%	1.8%	28.2%	1,678	560	1,504	209	1,531	268
27.	Tuskegee U.	283.2%	-19.2%	1.3%	-6.9%	1,965	738	7,434	640	7,529	596
28.	Winston-Salem State U.	67.0%	-18.1%	1.0%	4.4%	2,681	1,083	4,433	850	4,478	887
29.	Florida Memorial U.	-3.7%	-16.8%	-1.8%	-18.6%	5,297	453	5,195	463	5,101	377
30.	Fayetteville State U.	88.8%	-25.6%	-4.1%	32.6%	2,089	848	4,110	476	3,943	631
31.	Bennett College	57.4%	-22.9%	-5.3%	-4.8%	939	205	1,560	166	1,478	158
32.	Oakwood U.	105.8%	-17.6%	-5.5%	-9.6%	968	410	2,108	374	1,992	338
33.	Mississippi Valley State U.	-52.2%	-8.6%	-6.6%	-7.5%	4,832	405	2,473	400	2,310	370
34.	Albany State U.	13.5%	-21.1%	-7.8%	11.1%	1,935	607	2,381	431	2,196	479
35.	Savannah State U.	-24.6%	38.4%	-8.9%	-5.0%	3,915	857	3,237	1,248	2,950	1,186
36.	Tougaloo College	101.5%	-26.0%	-9.0%	-9.4%	1,152	208	2,551	170	2,321	154
37.	Bowie State U.	-52.8%	-45.1%	-9.5%	-4.9%	5,653	1,032	2,953	596	2,671	567
38.	Shaw U.	64.8%	-33.0%	-12.8%	-14.3%	3,053	600	5,766	469	5,030	402
39.	Norfolk State U.	-42.4%	-52.4%	-13.2%	-16.8%	4,243	1,001	2,817	572	2,445	476
40.	North Carolina A&T State U.	-3.3%	-20.9%	-15.1%	3.4%	6,214	2,251	7,075	1,721	6,010	1,780
41.	South Carolina State U.	-27.7%	-51.2%	-16.0%	-22.9%	3,383	1,013	2,911	641	2,445	494
42.	Paine College	2.9%	-33.8%	-16.5%	-39.1%	3,683	198	4,537	215	3,790	131
43.	Southern U.	-46.6%	-18.8%	-16.6%	27.6%	4,692	1,502	3,003	956	2,505	1,220
44.	Lane College	43.3%	-11.9%	-19.1%	42.3%	3,299	504	5,842	312	4,729	444
45.	Alabama A&M U.	0.6%	34.8%	-20.2%	22.8%	7,857	1,099	9,901	1,207	7,901	1,482
46.	Kentucky State U.	131.7%	-50.0%	-27.1%	-27.3%	2,058	420	6,540	289	4,768	210
47.	North Carolina Central U.	173.2%	-9.6%	-32.0%	19.8%	2,801	1,226	11,246	925	7,651	1,108
48.	Lincoln U. (Pa.)	-43.0%	-28.0%	-35.9%	44.0%	5,818	636	5,176	318	3,318	458
49.	Bluefield State College	-10.7%	8.8%	-40.9%	12.8%	692	251	1,046	242	618	273
50.	Hampton U.	34.7%	-22.2%	-47.3%	5.9%	7,617	1,201	19,473	882	10,258	934
51.	Prairie View A&M U.	80.8%	46.7%	-48.6%	1.1%	2,803	1,109	9,850	1,609	5,067	1,627
52.	Voorhees College	-47.8%	-13.9%	-49.8%	-23.9%	2,667	122	2,776	138	1,393	105

Note: Colleges are ranked from highest to lowest one-year increase in first-time undergraduate applicants from the 2014 to 2015 admissions cycle. Two-year institutions, and colleges that were missing data for 2005 were excluded from the analysis. The 2005 figures on the number of applicants include 22 institutions that reported data from the fall of 2005, and 30 that took the option of reporting data from the fall of 2004. Questions or comments on the Chronicle List should be sent to Ruth Hammond.

Source: Chronicle analysis of U.S. Department of Education data