For the third year in a row, Norfolk State University has been ranked by U.S. News and World Report as one of the Top 20 HBCUs in the nation.
The Higher Education Act of 1965 defines an HBCU as "any historically Black college or university that was established prior to 1964, whose principal mission was, and is, the education of Black Americans, and that is accredited by a nationally recognized accrediting agency or association determined by the Secretary (of Education) to be a reliable authority as to the quality of training offered or is, according to such an agency or association, making reasonable progress toward accreditation."
According to U.S. News, to qualify for a ranking, “an HBCU also must be an undergraduate baccalaureate-granting institution that enrolls primarily first-year, first-time students and must be a school that is part of the 2022-2023 Best Colleges rankings.”
The complete list of HBCU rankings is available at https://www.usnews.com/best-colleges/rankings/hbcu.
Norfolk State was also ranked by U.S. News in other areas, which U.S. News says offers a “bigger picture of the institution's offerings.”
#27 in Top Public Schools “Public colleges and universities typically operate under the supervision of state governments and are funded, in part, by tax dollars and subsidies from the state. As a result, these universities often offer discounted tuition to residents of their states.”
#29 in Best Colleges for Veterans “These are the top-ranked schools in the 2022-2023 Best Colleges rankings that participate in federal initiatives helping veterans and active-duty service members pay for their degrees.”
#40 in Top Performers on Social Mobility “Economically disadvantaged students are less likely than others to finish college, even when controlling for other characteristics. But some colleges are more successful than others at advancing social mobility by enrolling and graduating large proportions of disadvantaged students awarded with Pell Grants. The vast majority of these federal grants are awarded to students whose adjusted gross family incomes are under $50,000.”
#63 in Regional Universities South “Regional Universities offer a full range of undergraduate programs and some master's programs but few doctoral programs.”