Delaware State University maintains its high-ranking among HBCUs according to a new analysis by US News and World Report.
This year, Delaware State ranked third among public HBCUs and ninth among all HBCUs in general.
Those match the rankings DSU held last year - and mark the fourth consecutive year it’s ranked in the top three of public HBCUs and landed in the top 10 overall.
The report praised Delaware State for its undergraduate teaching, as well as the performance of students from low-resourced communities. Delaware State students themselves ranked the university tenth in the peer assessment category.
DSU’s enrollment is growing. Last year, total enrollment reached 6,451 students, an increase of 3.5 percent from the previous year and 23 percent since 2020, making DSU the fastest-growing HBCU in the country.
DSU officials in part credit the state’s Inspire Scholarship for drawing students. They also point to a growing research portfolio that’s eclipsed $30 million. The university has undertaken several initiatives in recent years to raise its profile, including last fall's National Black Farmers' Conference, the nation's first, and an Early Childhood Innovation Center, set to open its doors next year.
In a statement, the university also notes increased federal support for HBCUs. At this month’s White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) Conference in Philadelphia, President Biden touted his administration's $17 billion investment in HBCUs across the country.
