Â鶹ɫÇéƬ Has Published "The Ultimate Guide to HBCUs"


NEW YORK, July 5, 2022 / —Â鶹ɫÇéƬ®—one of the nation's best-known education services companies—today released a new college guide, The Ultimate Guide to HBCUs: Profiles, Stats and Insights for All 101 Historically Black Colleges and Universities (Penguin Random House, July 5, 2022, $14.99). The book is authored by Dr. Braque Talley, Vice President for Student Affairs at AAMU (Alabama Agricultural and Mechanical University), and the Staff of Â鶹ɫÇéƬ.

The Ultimate Guide to HBCUs has two-page profiles of every historically Black college and university. Among them are 85 schools offering undergraduate degrees, 11 community colleges offering up to associate degrees, and five graduate institutions. The schools are in 19 states (Alabama hosts the most: 12), the District of Columbia, and the Virgin Islands.

The book’s profiles include information on each school’s academic offerings, campus culture and history, student body demographics, and career services/distinguished alumni. The profiles also report on the cost of attendance and financial aid, requirements for admission, and application deadlines. A QR code on each profile makes it easy for a reader to access additional information about the school directly on PrincetonReview.com.

Howard University, Morehouse College, and Spelman College are some of the many well-known HBCUs in the book. Some of the other schools with unique distinctions are:

  • Cheney University of Pennsylvania. The nation’s first HBCU, it was founded in 1837, and is part of the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education.
  • Shorter College. Known for its “Path to Possible” programs, this two-year private college in North Little Rock, AK, is dedicated to empowering students looking for a jump start or a second chance. The cost for tuition and fees, $5,596, is the lowest of all the private colleges in the book.
  • The University of the Virgin Islands. Founded in 1962, it is the “youngest” HBCU and the only one outside of the continental U.S.
  • Tuskegee University. Founded by Booker T. Washington to encourage students to get an education as well as learn a valuable trade, Tuskegee U is also notable for its financial aid. Last year, its average undergrad grant/scholarship was $26,462—the highest of all the schools in the book.

In his introduction to the book, Dr. Talley notes, “I am unapologetic in my advocacy for Black colleges because I know what they can do for students. After all, they did it for me.” He recounts how a campus tour of an HBCU led to a conversation with the school’s president that inspired his enrollment there, his transformative educational journey, and his career as a higher education administrator. That college, from which Dr. Talley graduated cum laude, is Rust College (Holly Springs, MS).

Stats about HBCUs cited* in the book's introduction:

  • HBCUs make up 3% of the colleges and universities in the U.S.
  • 13% of Black students pursuing higher education do so within the HBCU system.
  • 23% of Black college graduates attended an HBCU.
  • 40% of Black U.S. Congressional leaders are HBCU graduates.
  • 50% of Black professors trained at HBCUs.
  • 60% of Black engineers studied at HBCUs.
  • 70% of Black physicians and dentists got their start at HBCUs.
  • 80% of Black judges attended HBCUs.

Rob Franek, Â鶹ɫÇéƬ’s Editor-in-Chief, who spearheaded the book’s publication, noted “We’ve worked with hundreds of HBCU administrators over the years whose participation in our institutional surveys has been crucial to our profiling their schools on PrincetonReview.com as well as in our guidebooks. We truly appreciate their support, and we are particularly grateful to Dr Braque Talley for his many important contributions to this book. His broad experience as an HBCU administrator and his passion for this project has been essential.”

The Ultimate Guide to HBCUs is one of more than 150 books in a developed by Â鶹ɫÇéƬ and published by Penguin Random House. Other books in the line include: The Best 388 Colleges (2023 edition August 2022), College Admission 101, The College Wellness Guide, The K&W Guide to Colleges for Students with Learning Differences, and Paying for College. Â鶹ɫÇéƬ also publishes guides to dozens of standardized tests and study resources. 

See Dr. Talley in a conversation with Rob Franek in a video on Â鶹ɫÇéƬ's YouTube channel.

About Dr. Braque Talley

Dr. Braque Talley, a native of Starkville, MS, has had a career in higher education for more than a decade. He is active in professional, civic, and social organizations and his student engagement campaigns have received national attention. Currently, he is Vice President for Student Affairs at AAMU (Alabama Agricultural and Mechanical University), a public HBCU in Normal, AL. Previously, he was Vice Chancellor of Enrollment / Student Success at the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff where he also taught graduate courses in Education Leadership. Prior to that, he was Vice President / Enrollment Management at his alma mater, Rust College, a private HBCU in Holly Springs, MS, at which he earned his B.A.in English Language and Literature. Dr. Talley earned his M.A. in Urban Planning at AAMU, and his Ph.D. in Higher Education at Jackson (MS) State University.

About Â鶹ɫÇéƬ

Â鶹ɫÇéƬ® is a leading tutoring, test prep, and college admissions services company. Every year, it helps millions of college- and graduate school–bound students achieve their education and career goals through its: online and in-person courses delivered by a network of more than 4,000 teachers and tutors; online resources; more than 150 print and digital books published by Penguin Random House; and dozens of categories of school rankings. Founded in 1981, Â鶹ɫÇéƬ is now in its 41st year. The company’s brand, now in its 21st  year, is one of the largest online tutoring services in the U.S. It comprises a community of thousands of tutors who have delivered more than 21 million one-to-one tutoring sessions. Â鶹ɫÇéƬ is headquartered in New York, NY. Â鶹ɫÇéƬ is not affiliated with Princeton University. For more information, visit PrincetonReview.com and the company's Media Center. Follow the company on Twitter () and Instagram ().

*Sources include studies reported by Black Enterprise, the National Science Foundation, the Thurgood Marshall College Fund, and the United Negro College Fund.

THE ULTIMATE GUIDE TO HBCUs:
Profiles, Stats and Insights for All 101 Historically Black Colleges and Universities
by Dr. Braque Talley and the Staff of Â鶹ɫÇéƬ
Penguin Random House • $14.99 (Canada $19.99) • 240 pages • ISBN 978-0-593-45123-6
Trade paperback July 5, 2022 / eBook August 9, 2022

NOTE TO EDITORS: Dr. Talley is available for interviews on the contributions, current challenges of, and history of HBCUs. Contact Jeanne Krier, Publicist for Â鶹ɫÇéƬ, PressOffice@review.com

- # # # -