HBCUs with the highest earning alumni 
Historic Black Colleges and Universities are ranked below according to the median earnings of students 10 years after enrolling. Earnings data taken from College Scorecard, a Department of Education initiative.
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Net cost: The median annual cost of all students that receive any aid. This does not refer to the “sticker price”, the price listed by the college.
Earnings: The median earnings of all bachelor-level students 10 years after enrollment. This includes both students that do and do not graduate, across all majors.
Payback: The amount of time in years it takes to pay off the median net cost by the median earnings. For this calculation, the median earning of high school graduates (in the school’s home state) are deducted from the median earnings.
Degree premium: The difference between the school’s median earnings and the median earnings for all schools in the same state. This is called “Vs. state average” in school profiles below.
Ranking: The payback rate is divided by the degree premium (set as a percentage), the lower the number the higher the rank. (i.e. payback=1, degree premium 20% higher than state school median: 1/120% = .883.
Howard University
Washington, District of Columbia
Admission rate: 39%
Grad rate: 63%
Net cost: $41,289
Payback: 5.3 Years
Earnings: $56,236
Vs. state average: + $6,950
Economic score: 4.67
Go to School
Xavier University of Louisiana
New Orleans, Louisiana
Admission rate: 81%
Grad rate: 51%
Net cost: $19,715
Payback: 3.0 Years
Earnings: $53,554
Vs. state average: + $7,612
Economic score: 2.55
Go to School
Hampton University
Hampton, Virginia
Admission rate: 37%
Grad rate: 58%
Net cost: $31,307
Payback: 5.0 Years
Earnings: $52,372
Vs. state average: + $9,388
Economic score: 4.11
Go to School
Spelman College
Atlanta, Georgia
Admission rate: 53%
Grad rate: 76%
Net cost: $43,843
Payback: 6.4 Years
Earnings: $52,227
Vs. state average: + $10,334
Economic score: 5.10
Go to School
Morehouse College
Atlanta, Georgia
Admission rate: 78%
Grad rate: 51%
Net cost: $31,327
Payback: 4.9 Years
Earnings: $51,483
Vs. state average: + $9,590
Economic score: 3.98
Go to School
Bowie State University
Bowie, Maryland
Admission rate: 82%
Grad rate: 50%
Net cost: $15,934
Payback: 3.6 Years
Earnings: $49,154
Vs. state average: - $5,198
Economic score: 3.95
Go to School
Tuskegee University
Tuskegee, Alabama
Admission rate: 62%
Grad rate: 64%
Net cost: $34,575
Payback: 7.5 Years
Earnings: $44,419
Vs. state average: + $1,056
Economic score: 7.32
Go to School
Morgan State University
Baltimore, Maryland
Admission rate: 74%
Grad rate: 45%
Net cost: $17,619
Payback: 5.4 Years
Earnings: $43,075
Vs. state average: - $11,277
Economic score: 6.86
Go to School
Delaware State University
Dover, Delaware
Admission rate: 40%
Grad rate: 44%
Net cost: $12,995
Payback: 3.6 Years
Earnings: $42,994
Vs. state average: - $5,630
Economic score: 4.02
Go to School
Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University
Tallahassee, Florida
Admission rate: 33%
Grad rate: 56%
Net cost: $15,060
Payback: 3.8 Years
Earnings: $42,521
Vs. state average: - $2,200
Economic score: 3.95
Go to School
University of Maryland Eastern Shore
Princess Anne, Maryland
Admission rate: 63%
Grad rate: 44%
Net cost: $16,980
Payback: 5.4 Years
Earnings: $41,252
Vs. state average: - $13,100
Economic score: 7.13
Go to School
North Carolina A & T State University
Greensboro, North Carolina
Admission rate: 57%
Grad rate: 54%
Net cost: $10,274
Payback: 2.6 Years
Earnings: $41,157
Vs. state average: - $914
Economic score: 2.65
Go to School
Prairie View A & M University
Prairie View, Texas
Admission rate: 77%
Grad rate: 44%
Net cost: $14,582
Payback: 4.7 Years
Earnings: $40,354
Vs. state average: - $4,593
Economic score: 5.26
Go to School
Norfolk State University
Norfolk, Virginia
Admission rate: 92%
Grad rate: 45%
Net cost: $12,645
Payback: 4.5 Years
Earnings: $39,696
Vs. state average: - $3,288
Economic score: 4.86
Go to School
Clark Atlanta University
Atlanta, Georgia
Admission rate: 60%
Grad rate: 47%
Net cost: $34,263
Payback: 9.3 Years
Earnings: $39,369
Vs. state average: - $2,524
Economic score: 9.89
Go to School
Lincoln University
Lincoln University, Pennsylvania
Admission rate: 91%
Grad rate: 50%
Net cost: $17,731
Payback: 6.0 Years
Earnings: $38,652
Vs. state average: - $14,926
Economic score: 8.29
Go to School
Winston-Salem State University
Winston-Salem, North Carolina
Admission rate: 73%
Grad rate: 63%
Net cost: $12,286
Payback: 3.4 Years
Earnings: $38,584
Vs. state average: - $3,487
Economic score: 3.75
Go to School
Oakwood University
Huntsville, Alabama
Admission rate: 89%
Grad rate: 50%
Net cost: $24,274
Payback: 7.3 Years
Earnings: $37,922
Vs. state average: - $5,441
Economic score: 8.39
Go to School
Dillard University
New Orleans, Louisiana
Admission rate: 66%
Grad rate: 45%
Net cost: $17,128
Payback: 6.1 Years
Earnings: $37,014
Vs. state average: - $8,928
Economic score: 7.52
Go to School
North Carolina Central University
Durham, North Carolina
Admission rate: 88%
Grad rate: 47%
Net cost: $14,732
Payback: 4.8 Years
Earnings: $36,546
Vs. state average: - $5,525
Economic score: 5.51
Go to School
