The nation’s first, private historically Black college/university (HBCU) shows great value in the official U. S. Department of Education’s College Scorecard. These are metrics that give a perspective of how categorized colleges and universities rank.

Wilberforce University (Ohio) is graded among six other four year, private and public, historically Black colleges/universities (HBCUs) by enrollment, location (rural) and size. The schools are Cheyney State in Pennsylvania, Kentucky State, Central State University in Ohio, Lincoln University in Pennsylvania, Harris Stowe University in Missouri, and Philander Smith in Arkansas.

The statistics show that 10 years after graduation, Wilberforce University was among the leaders in median earnings among students who received federal financial aid. And, Wilberforce has the second lowest median total debt after graduation. Of the top three schools with the highest graduation rate, Wilberforce is second among the seven that are “graded” on the scorecard. Read More

The Wilberforce University Board of Trustees is pleased to announce the selection of Dr. Vann R. Newkirk as the university’s 23rd president. Dr. Newkirk will assume the presidency in July of this year, succeeding Dr. Elfred Anthony Pinkard, who announced his retirement as president in March of 2022. The Wilberforce Family expresses heartfelt appreciation for Dr. Pinkard’s dedicated service to the university. His sound leadership during a global health crisis is one of his many contributions that will not be forgotten, and his legacy will continue to inspire and influence the future of this great institution for generations to come.

Dr. Newkirk brings a wealth of experience and has a sterling reputation in higher education, having served in various leadership roles at several institutions. He presently serves as an interim associate vice president at Alabama A&M University in Huntsville, and he is a former president of the historic Fisk University in Nashville, Tennessee. Prior to his presidential appointment at Fisk, Dr. Newkirk also served as that university’s provost and vice president of academic affairs. Read More