HBCUs in the Midwest
Image via Lincolnu.edu
Here, we'll highlight the five HBCUs in the Midwest, their history and the range of programs they offer.
HBCU in the Midwest #1
Central State University - Wilberforce, OH
Mascot: Marauders
Enrollment: 3,205
Acceptance Rate: 59%
Founded: 1887
Central State University began as a teacher training and vocational college on Wilberforce's campus. In 1951, Central State became independent from Wilberforce. Keeping with its original mission, Central State offers multiple Bachelor Degree options in Education. CSU’s other programs include Business, Engineering and Exercise Science as well as Music and English. Students can also earn certificates in cybersecurity, commercial music and technology. Central State’s graduate program offers an MBA.
HBCU in the Midwest #2
Harris-Stowe State University - St. Louis, MO
Mascot: Hornets
Enrollment: 998
Acceptance Rate: 100%
Founded: 1857
As a result of the 1954 Civil Rights Act, Harris-Stowe was established when Stowe Teachers College (1890) for Black teachers merged with Harris Teachers College for whites-only (1857). This HBCU gained university status in 2005. Keeping with its original mission, Harris-Stowe specializes in education programs ranging from early childhood through secondary programs. Additional programs range from Health Care Management and Information Sciences & Computer Technology to Sustainability and Urban Ecology, Urban Affairs as well as a certificate offering in Urban Agriculture.
HBCU in the Midwest #3
Lincoln University - Jefferson City, MO
Mascot: Tigers
Enrollment: 1,174
Acceptance Rate: 100%
Founded: 1866
After learning to read and write during bootcamp, Black soldiers in the 62nd United States Colored Infantry raised funds to establish Lincoln Institute for emancipated African Americans. The institution started adding college-level courses in 1877 and became Lincoln University in 1921. Today, Lincoln has a College of Agriculture, Environmental and Human Sciences; a College of Arts and Sciences (with programs in Science and Technology, Social Sciences, among others) and a College of Professional Studies (with programs in Business, Education and Nursing). Lincoln also offers Master’s Degrees in Arts, Education, Science and Business Administration as well as Education.
HBCU in the Midwest #4
Pensole Lewis College of Business and Design - Detroit, MI
Mascot: N/A
Enrollment: N/A
Acceptance Rate: N/A
Founded: 1928 and reopened in 2021
Dr. Violet Temple Lewis established Lewis Business College to develop Black secretaries with the help of a $50 bank loan back in 1928; however the college closed in 2015. D'Wayne Edwards, founder of the Pensole Footwear Design Academy and now President of this HBCU, was a primary stakeholder in reopening the college as Pensole Lewis College of Business and Design in 2021. Currently, this non-traditional institution offers non-credit-bearing masterclasses in footwear design, color & materials design, apparel design and product marketing. Their current mission is to "prepare the largest talent pool of designers to enter the industry and strive to make it better for the next generation" through merging industry and education.
HBCU in the Midwest #5
Wilberforce University - Wilberforce, OH
Mascot: Bulldogs
Enrollment: 381
Acceptance Rate: 39%
Founded: 1856
Wilberforce is America’s oldest private HBCU that is owned and operated by African Americans. The undergraduate programs range from BS degrees in information systems and engineering to BA degrees in communications and social work. The most popular undergraduate major is Marketing/Marketing Management. Wilberforce also offers a Master of Science in Clinical Rehabilitation Counseling.