The National Science Foundation recently released its annual data on doctoral degree recipients in the United States. Data for the annual Survey of Earned Doctorates shows that universities in the United States conferred 55,006 doctorates in 2015.
The report shows that 431 doctorates were awarded by historically Black colleges and universities in 2015. Thus, HBCUs conferred just 0.8 percent of all doctoral degrees awarded in the United States in 2015.
A year ago, the 448 doctorates awarded by HBCUs was the highest total since JBHE began tracking this statistic. This year there was a small 3.8 percent decline in doctorates awarded by HBCUs.
In 2014 Howard University in Washington, D.C., led the HBCUs, granting 105 doctoral degrees. This was the highest number of doctorates ever awarded by Howard in its history, dating back to 1867. In 2015, Howard University awarded 99 doctorates, still by far the most by any HBCU.
Once again this year, Jackson State University in Mississippi ranked second with 58 doctoral degree awards. This was down from 61 doctoral degrees in 2014 and 68 doctoral awards in 2013. In third place among HBCUs, North Carolina A&T State University and Morgan State University each awarded 42 doctorates in 2015.
Other HBCUs that awarded at least 15 doctorates were Tennessee State University, Southern University, Clark Atlanta University, the University of Maryland Eastern Shore, Hampton University, and Texas Southern University.
All told, 21 HBCUs awarded doctoral degrees in 2015. This is same number as the previous year.
It must be noted that in all probability not all doctoral degrees awarded by HBCUs went to African Americans. But the data does not break down the doctoral degree awards from HBCUs by race or ethnic group.
Are HBCU gender statistics available?
Why does that matter? Is this a competition to see which gender received the most doctoral degrees. This is where ego and pride stands in the way of progress. Instead of your your education to help lead and build the community, people with your mindset stumping our progress, due to inflated egos over which gender received the most degrees.