HBCUs that have closed or are in danger of closing

1. 1 | P a g e
Name City & State Founded Closed Additional Info
South Carolina
State University
Orangeburg, SC 1896 2015 After many years of financial struggles, the South Carolina
legislature voted to close the college for 2 years. SC State was
founded as a land grant college with a mission of providing
education and service to the citizens of the state. In its first century,
SC State was a leader in education.
St. Paul's
College
Lawrenceville, VA 1888 2013 Having unsuccessfully battled a crushing debt and a rejected
accreditation, St. Paul College joins the ranks of HBCU’s forced to
close their doors for good. They closed in June 2013. The major
agents behind the 125-year-old school’s closure have reignited
discussions on the current state of HBCUs and possible ways to
ensure their future.
Mary Holmes
College
West Point, MS 1892 2004 The Board of Freedmen of the Presbyterian Church founded Mary
Holmes College as a high school in 1892 in Jacksonville,
Mississippi. The school was made into a two-year private college
in 1959. Toward the end of its legacy, a host of problems led the
institution’s Board of Trustees to declare bankruptcy and close in
2004.
Natchez College Natchez, MS 1885 1993 Natchez College was one of several private institutions of higher
learning established by religious organizations in Mississippi
during the post-Civil War period. Integration and the proximity of
Alcorn College (now Alcorn State University) were instrumental in
the ultimate failure of the college, which contributed significantly
for over a century to the education and cultural life of African
Americans in Southwest Mississippi.
[HBCU’S THAT HAVE CLOSED]

2. 2 | P a g e
Name City & State Founded Closed Additional Info
Bishop College Dallas, TX 1881 1988 Located originally in Marshall, Texas, Bishop College grew out of a
desire to establish a Texas college for Black Baptists. The Baptist
Home Mission Society founded the college in 1881. Accomplished
clergymen like Martin Luther King Jr. and Jesse Jackson would
often visit the religion-oriented institution. The school experienced
a series of controversies and financial problems in the 1970s
before closing in 1988.
Mississippi
Industrial
College
Holly Springs, MS 1905 1982 A private institution located in Holly Springs, Mississippi Industrial
College was founded by the Mississippi Conference of the Colored
Methodist Episcopal Church in 1905. Young Black students were
trained in Christian ideals and provided with literary and industrial
educations. The college closed in 1982.
Friendship
College
Rock Hill, SC 1891 1981 Based in Rock Hill, South Carolina, Friendship College was
founded in 1891 as “a place for young African-Americans to be
educated so that they could move forward in society as ministers
and educators.” The institution held its final semester in 1981 after
an investigation exposed a mismanagement of funds.
Daniel Payne
College
Birmingham, AL 1889 1979 Daniel Payne College was a private four-year college located in
Birmingham, Alabama. Founded in 1889, the college was named
after the sixth bishop of the A.M.E. Church. Payne had been the
first Black president of a college in the United States. In 1977, a
massive tornado left over $1 million worth of damages to the
campus, forcing the college to close that same year.
[HBCU’S THAT HAVE CLOSED]

3. 3 | P a g e
Name City & State Founded Closed Additional Info
Kittrell College Kittrell, NC 1886 1975 Kittrell College opened in 1886 in Kittrell, North Carolina. The
North Carolina Conference of African Methodist Episcopal Church
founded the historically Black institution, which was originally a
high school. Financial problems caused the school to shut down
twice, before closing for good in 1975.
[HBCU’S THAT HAVE CLOSED]

4. 4 | P a g e
Name State Reason
Elizabeth State
University
North Carolina Enrollment declines, cuts to government financial aid, leadership controversies
Cheyney University Pennsylvania Decline in enrollment and funding
Texas Southern
University
Texas Decline in enrollment and funding
Lincoln University Pennsylvania Enrollment decline
Florida A&M
University
Florida Enrollment drop (possibly due to being on probation from its creditor)
North Carolina
Central University
North Carolina Decline in funding (eliminated 55 positions last year due to funding issues)
[HBCU’S THAT ARE IN DANGER OF CLOSING]

5. 5 | P a g e
References
11 Historically Black Colleges & Universities That Have Closed. (2014, October 17).
Retrieved February 16, 2015, from http://urbanintellectuals.com/2014/10/17/11-
historically-black-colleges-universities-that-have-closed/
Public HBCUs, facing tests on many fronts, fight for survival @insidehighered. (2014,
June 14). Retrieved February 16, 2015, from
https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2014/06/24/public-hbcus-facing-tests-many-
fronts-fight-survival
The Discouraging Trend in Graduation Rates at HBCUs. (2013, November 26). Retrieved
February 16, 2015, from http://www.jbhe.com/2013/11/discouraging-trend-in-
graduation-rates-at-hbcus/