Explore HBCU – Albany State University

Staff Writer

January 21, 2022

Albany State University is a public historically black university in Albany, Georgia.

Background

Albany State University was founded as the Albany Bible and Manual Training Institute by educator and author Joseph Winthrop Holley in 1903. Over the next 40 years, the institute would evolve to become a state-supported, two-year agricultural and teacher training college named The Georgia Normal and Agricultural College, part of the University System of Georgia, and granted four-year status before being renamed Albany State College.

In addition to its expanded four-year course curriculum, the first graduate program of the school was established in 1981. Twelve years later, a flood caused such extensive damage to the college grounds, the campus needed to be expanded. Not long after the expansion, the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia granted Albany State College’s status change from college to university, and Albany State University became the school we know today.

Most recently, Darton State College and Albany State University consolidated to become one university under the University System of Georgia.

Programs & Opportunities

Spanning associate, undergraduate, certificate, graduate, and online programs, Albany State University’s curriculum offerings are extensive. The university boasts a total of over 40 distinct undergraduate degrees and over 100 degree-specific concentrations.

Learn more about the numerous degree and course offerings at Albany State University here.

Alumni Affairs

Albany State University is dedicated to excellence in teaching and learning in order for students to become effective contributors to a globally diverse society. Notable alumni who have been a part of this mission include, but are not limited to:

Shirley Sherrod, former Georgia State Director of Rural Development for the US Department of Agriculture, graduated with a bachelor of arts in sociology.
Dr. A. Zachary Faison, Jr., attorney and academic administrator, graduated magna cum laude with a bachelor of arts in English.
Bernice Johnson Reagon, social activist, composer, and scholar studied music at Albany State University
Jo Marie Payton, popular singer, actress, and philanthropist graduated from Albany State University. Through the “Frankie Payton Scholarship Fund” named after her mother, Jo Marie Payton has helped to send hundreds of students to college on scholarships.

Financial Information

Albany State University is an institution committed to increasing opportunities for student access and success, and as such the university reportedly has an 81% first-year student population that receives federal grant aid for an average of $5,538 per person. This is most of the university’s in-state tuition sticker price, which totals to a reported $5,934; out-of-state tuition totals to $16,656.

Conclusion

Albany State University is an HBCU that places its innovative and creative delivery of educational programs, public service, creative scholarship, broad-based community engagement, and applied research at the helm of its educational vision.

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