UNCF's Impact
UNCF’s impressive achievements reinforce its effectiveness—one generation of students after another set on the path to opportunity and success—as well as the sweep of its mission.


They make up just 3% of U.S. higher education institutions, but they educate 11% of all Black college students.


They graduate 80% of Black judges, 50% of Black doctors, and 50% of Black lawyers.


They award 18% of all bachelor’s degrees received by Black students in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields.
UNCF is the country’s most effective education management organization and provides scholarships to thousands of students each year.
550,000+
students with college degrees thanks to UNCF
Why HBCUs Need UNCF
UNCF uses its scale, profile, and institutional knowledge to elevate HBCUs and equip member institutions with the skills and capacity they couldn’t develop on their own. Its ability to convene leaders and enable the sharing of information allows all institutions to benefit from learnings and best practices. And UNCF’s platform and reputation among policymakers make it a powerful advocate for HBCUs.
UNCF and HBCUs: An interactive timeline

1799
It wasn’t until 1799 that the first Black person officially attended an American higher education institution. It wasn’t until 1854—55 years later—that the first Black higher education institution was founded.

1865
At the end of the Civil War in 1865, the Freedmen’s Bureau is established to provide funding and training for Black people, and the first HBCU in the South is founded. The year 1867 is the most momentous for HBCU foundings.

20TH CENTURY
By the turn of the 20th century, Black education makes strides such as the first Black woman to establish a college, the founding of the “Divine 9” Black fraternities and sororities, and the establishment of Negro History Week (now Black History Month).

1944
1944: United Negro College Fund is founded to help support and sustain the burgeoning Black higher education landscape.

1965
1965: The Higher Education Act recognizes HBCUs, providing dedicated federal funding.

1980
1980: UNCF’s first annual telethon raises $14.1 million.

2004
2004: UNCF President Dr. Michael L. Lomax joins; in 2006, he establishes the Institute for Capacity Building.

2014
2014: UNCF receives a $25 million grant from Koch Industries and the Charles Koch Foundation.

2016
2016: UNCF and Fund II Foundation launch a $48 million scholarship program to support African American students pursuing careers in the fields of STEM.

2022
2022: HBCUv launch is announced by UNCF in partnership with an HBCU steering committee.

2024
2024: Lilly Endowment Inc. awards $100 million unrestricted gift to UNCF—the largest unrestricted gift in UNCF history—to support its $1 billion capital campaign.