Explore HBCU – Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University
Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University is a public historically black land-grant university in Tallahassee, Florida.
Background
Founded in 1887, Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University (FAMU) is now the second largest historically black university in the United States by enrollment.
Originally known as the State Normal College for Colored Students, it was first established by Black Abolitionist Jonathan C. Gibbs one year after he was elected to the Florida Legislature. The State Normal College for Colored Students became a land-grant college soon after, receiving $7,500 from the state and changing its name to the State Normal and Industrial College for Colored Students.
Officially, it did not become an institution of higher learning until 1905 when the Buckman Act was passed to transfer control from the Department of Education to the Board of Control, helping to create what has become the foundation for the university today—The name changed two more times before finally in 1953 becoming the Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University we all know and love today.
Now FAMU is the only publicly funded HBCU in the state of Florida, standing among the nation’s top national public universities. According to the 2022 U.S. News & World Report’s Top 10 Historically Black Colleges and Universities, public or private, FAMU now ranks as the highest public HBCU at number seven.
Programs & Opportunities
Today, FAMU hosts a wide array of degree offerings, offering more than 120 total programs of study—including but not limited to approximately 60 bachelor’s degrees (architecture, journalism and psychology are among the most popular) and 40 graduate degrees (including engineering, education, and law). The College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences is fully accredited and ranks among the top 50 of the best schools of pharmacy in the US. Learn more about the wide range of programming offered here.
Notable Alumni
Below is just a small list of notable alumni from Florida A&M, the full record being more than could be quickly summed in this article.
- Keisha Lance Bottoms: : mayor of Atlanta, Georgia
- Anika Noni Rose: Tony Award-Winning actress, well-known for her leading roles in film, television, and theatre
- John Wendell Thompson: technology executive who was the chairman emeritus of Microsoft before becoming chairman of Illumina
- Dr. Jami Valentine Miller: physicist and founder of African American Women in Physics, Inc
Financial Information
For the current academic year, undergraduate tuition & fees at FAMU is listed as $5,785 for Florida residents and $17,725 for out-state students. Additionally, a reported 86 percent of students received need-based financial aid within their first-year of enrollment, and 59 percent of all students’ financial aid needs were met.
Conclusion
FAMU is an institution whose mission is seated in diversity in its thought and population. Its environment is student-centered, spreading a culture consistent with its core values.
FAMU boasts a culture of inclusion, integrating its historic purpose of educating African Americans with embracing those from all backgrounds.
Learn more about what top HBCU FAMU, the college on the highest of seven hills, has to offer.
Sources:
- https://affordableschools.net/25-largest-hbcu-bachelors-colleges-enrollment/
- http://www.famu.edu/about-famu/history/index.php
- https://www.usnews.com/best-colleges/florida-am-university-1480/overall-rankings
- https://www.findmyhbcu.org/school/florida-agricultural-and-mechanical-university/
- http://www.thefamuanonline.com/2020/03/31/andrew-gillums-political-career-appears-to-be-over/
- https://www.essence.com/celebrity/celebrities-attended-famu-hbcu/
- http://www.famuonline.com/2-uncategorised/93-john-w-thompson.html
- https://www.drjami.com/
- https://www.usnews.com/best-colleges/florida-am-university-1480/paying
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