HBCUs and Minority-Serving Institutions: What the Terms Mean

HBCU stands for historically Black college or university. “Minority-serving institution” (MSI) is an umbrella term for colleges that federal law identifies for a particular student population: Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs), Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs), Predominantly Black Institutions (PBIs), Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institutions (AANAPISIs), Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian-Serving Institutions (ANNHs), Native American-Serving Nontribal Institutions (NASNTIs), and HBCUs. Every one of these colleges is open to all applicants. The labels describe a school’s history or enrollment, and in several cases they exist so the school can apply for federal grants. They are not admission rules and not quality ratings.

Key takeaways

• HBCU is a historical designation. The federal definition requires that a school was established before 1964, that its principal mission was, and is, the education of Black Americans, and that it is accredited or making reasonable progress toward accreditation.
• Most other MSI labels are enrollment-based. For example, an HSI has at least 25 percent Hispanic undergraduate full-time-equivalent enrollment, and an AANAPISI at least 10 percent Asian American or Native American Pacific Islander undergraduate enrollment, plus other criteria.
• HBCUs and MSIs enroll students of all backgrounds. NCES reports that non-Black students were 24 percent of HBCU enrollment in 2022.
• The numbers vary enormously between individual colleges, as with any group. Use school-level cost, graduation and earnings data rather than the label.
• Federal grant programs for some MSI types changed in 2025. Check current Department of Education announcements for the latest status.

The definitions

These definitions come from the Higher Education Act as presented by the Department of Education and NCES. Thresholds are used for grant eligibility and can be applied at the time of application.

Type	What it means
HBCU (Historically Black College or University)	A school established before 1964, whose principal mission was and is the education of Black Americans, and that is accredited by a nationally recognized agency or making reasonable progress toward accreditation.
HSI (Hispanic-Serving Institution)	An eligible institution with undergraduate full-time-equivalent enrollment that is at least 25 percent Hispanic, measured at the end of the award year before the application.
TCU (Tribal College or University)	Generally an institution formally controlled, sanctioned or chartered by the governing body of a tribe or tribes, with a majority-Native student body and a purpose of meeting the needs of Native people. Funding eligibility follows the Tribally Controlled College or University Assistance Act, listing in the Equity in Educational Land-Grant Status Act of 1994, or designation by the Bureau of Indian Education.
PBI (Predominantly Black Institution)	An eligible institution with at least 40 percent Black American undergraduates, at least 1,000 undergraduates, at least 50 percent low-income or first-generation undergraduate students, and other requirements, including low per-student spending relative to peers.
AANAPISI	An eligible institution with at least 10 percent Asian American or Native American Pacific Islander undergraduate enrollment, plus other statutory eligibility requirements.
ANNH (Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian-Serving Institution)	At least 20 percent Alaska Native undergraduate enrollment (Alaska Native-serving), or at least 10 percent Native Hawaiian undergraduate enrollment (Native Hawaiian-serving).
NASNTI (Native American-Serving Nontribal Institution)	A nontribal institution with at least 10 percent Native American undergraduate enrollment.

Two points about these definitions:

1. A school can qualify under more than one type. In our data, five colleges carry both the HSI and PBI flags.
2. Percentages are an eligibility test, not a promise about campus life. A college that meets a threshold may serve many other groups too, and many colleges with large Hispanic or Black enrollments have not sought a designation.

What the data shows

TuitionScope’s data (June 2026 College Scorecard release) flags HBCUs, HSIs, PBIs and tribal colleges among its 2,567 degree-granting 2- and 4-year colleges. Our universe only includes schools with enough cost and outcomes data, so counts are lower than the totals NCES reports. NCES counted 99 HBCUs in 2022, in 19 states, the District of Columbia and the U.S. Virgin Islands; 50 were public and 49 private nonprofit.

Flag in our data	Colleges	Median share of students receiving Pell Grants	Median net price	Median graduation rate	Median earnings 4 years after completing
HBCU	88	67%	$14,268	32%	$46,912
HSI	434	37%	$11,476	42%	$57,331
PBI	39	49%	$11,453	35%	$52,824
Tribal	31	49%	$6,507	19%	$38,985
All colleges	2,567	33%	$17,400	49%	$56,542

How to read this table fairly:

• Many of these colleges serve a larger share of lower-income students. The Pell share is far above the all-college median at HBCUs, PBIs and tribal colleges. Lower-income student bodies often mean lower graduation rates at any school, because students have fewer financial cushions and more work and family obligations.
• Medians mix school types. Tribal colleges are mostly 2-year and public, and HSIs include many community colleges. Compare similar schools, not group averages.
• Earnings reflect local labor markets and major mix, not only the college. See our guide on how to read Scorecard earnings data.
• Within the groups, there is huge variation. In our data, graduation rates among HBCUs run from 8 percent to 77 percent, and among HSIs from 12 percent to 93 percent.

In our data, the largest HBCU counts are in North Carolina (10), Alabama, Georgia and Texas (8 each). HSIs are concentrated in California (137) and Texas (85), followed by New York, New Jersey and Florida.

NCES also reports that 90 percent of HBCU undergraduates received financial aid in 2019-20, averaging $17,300 per aided student. That is a historical, national figure; use net price calculators for current school-specific costs.

What changed in federal funding

In September 2025 the Department of Education announced that it would end discretionary grant programs for several MSI types, including HSIs, PBIs, AANAPISIs, ANNHs and NASNTIs, arguing that eligibility based on racial or ethnic enrollment thresholds was unconstitutional. Press reports at that time said HBCU and tribal college funding was not affected, and that mandatory appropriations, about $132 million, would continue. The announcement was disputed by advocates, and the situation may have developed since (including through Congress or the courts).

What this means for students: a school’s HSI or PBI label does not by itself change your individual financial aid eligibility. Your FAFSA, Pell eligibility and loans work the same way at every Title IV-eligible school. Funding changes could affect campus programs at designated schools, so ask about the services you care about, such as tutoring, advising or research programs. Check the Department of Education’s current MSI pages for updates.

How to use this information when choosing a college

• Use the flag as one search filter, then evaluate each school on cost, graduation, support services and your program of interest.
• Visit, or talk to current students and alumni, about the campus community and advising.
• Compare net prices with the net price calculator. Some HBCUs and HSIs have lower net prices than comparable schools. Others do not.
• Look at program-level outcomes for your intended major, not just the institution-wide numbers.
• Ask about transfer agreements if you are starting at a two-year school (see transfer pathways).

Common mistakes

• Assuming an HBCU or MSI only admits students of one background.
• Treating a label as a quality rating, positive or negative.
• Comparing a group median to a single school.
• Assuming that “Hispanic-Serving” means Spanish-language instruction. It is an enrollment designation.
• Using old counts. Designations and eligible lists change from year to year.
• Assuming federal grant changes affect your own FAFSA or Pell Grant. They do not directly.

What to do next

1. Search by state and type in the college finder.
2. Browse state hubs under /colleges-in and compare in the rankings.
3. Estimate your price with the net price calculator.
4. Read public vs. private vs. for-profit colleges and Pell Grant basics.
5. See the methodology for how flags and medians are defined.

General education. Definitions are summarized from Department of Education and NCES materials; consult the sources above for the legal text.