FAMU has again been named the nation’s top public historically Black college or university for the seventh consecutive year, according to the latest U.S. News & World Report rankings released late Monday evening. Yet the university faced notable declines across several key categories, renewing debate over its competitive standing among both HBCUs and national universities.
FAMU retained its No. 1 position among public HBCUs but fell two spots to No. 5 in the overall ranking of HBCUs—a category once again swept by private institutions, with Spelman College, Howard University, and Morehouse College claiming the top three positions.
The university also slid in broader national measures. It fell 11 spots to No. 92 among top public universities (tied with Louisiana State University and the University of Alabama) and dropped 17 places to No. 169 among National Universities. Despite the decline, FAMU remains within the top 100 public institutions in the country for the second consecutive year.
In a sign of its continued selectivity, the university ranked No. 21 in the nation for lowest acceptance rates, a distinction it shares with some of the country’s most competitive public and private institutions.
University officials acknowledged the rankings dip but emphasized the seven-year streak as the leading public HBCU.
“Our commitment to academic excellence and student success has not wavered,” said one university administrator. “While rankings are one measure, our focus remains on providing transformative education and producing leaders who make a difference globally.”
Some education analysts pointed to increased competition and changes in methodology—including greater emphasis on graduation rates, social mobility, and faculty resources—as factors behind the shift.
“The landscape is becoming more competitive every year, especially among public HBCUs,” said Cynthia Brown,Ph.D, a higher education policy expert at Georgetown University. “FAMU’s consistent top showing among publics is impressive, but the overall slide suggests others are catching up or outperforming in key metrics.”
FAMU officials highlighted ongoing investments in student support services and research infrastructure as part of the university’s strategy to improve outcomes. “We are already implementing initiatives aimed at strengthening retention and graduation rates,” they said. “Our trajectory remains strong.”
The 2026 U.S. News rankings evaluated more than 1,700 U.S. colleges and universities, using up to 17 key factors to measure academic quality, including graduation rates, peer assessment, financial resources per student and social mobility. While the rankings primarily evaluate institutions based on their undergraduate programs, they also consider aspects of graduate education and research, aiming to provide a holistic assessment of the institution.
FAMU is routinely recognized as one of the nation’s top public universities, and one of the top historically Black colleges or universities by USNWR, and most recently was recognized as the #1 HBCU overall by Niche.
The full U.S. News & World Report list of top HBCUs for 2026 is as follows:
1. Spelman College (private)
2. Howard University (private)
3. Morehouse College (private)
4. Tuskegee University (private)
5. Florida A&M University (public)
6. Xavier University of Louisiana (private)
7. Hampton University (private)
8. North Carolina A&T State University (public) tie
8. Morgan State University (public) tie
10. Delaware State University (public)