Founded by black leader and educator Booker T. Washington in 1881, Tuskegee University in Tuskegee has been a mainstay for years in providing students an education. Former Tuskegee graduates include nationally syndicated radio host Tom Joyner, musician Lionel Richie and actor and comedian Keenan Ivory Wayans. The university has garnered awards and recognition throughout the years. In 2011 Tuskegee was ranked fifth among the best colleges in the south by U.S. News & World Report magazine. According to the university's website, Tuskegee is the only HBCU that has a fully accredited veterinary medicine program. The university has six colleges, and awards bachelor's, master's and doctorate degrees.
Alabama State University, located in Montgomery, first opened in 1867 as Lincoln Normal School in Marion. It was moved to its current location in 1887. After three name changes, it was renamed Alabama State University in 1969. Students and faculty at Alabama State University played key roles in the civil rights movement of the 1960s. According to the university's website, two students and a professor at the school stayed up overnight mimeographing 35,000 leaflets after civil rights pioneer Rosa Parks was arrested for refusing to give up her seat on a city bus. Alabama State University offers associate, bachelor's, master's and doctorate degrees.
Alabama A&M University first opened in 1875 as Huntsville Normal School in Huntsville. The school was moved to its present location in Normal in 1890. After three name changes, it became Alabama Agricultural and Mechanical University in 1969. The university offers bachelor's, master's, specialist and doctorate degree programs through five colleges. In 1999 Black Enterprise magazine ranked Alabama A&M University No. 49 among the top 50 colleges for African-Americans.
Miles College is located in Fairfield, which is a west suburb of Birmingham. The four-year university has an open enrollment policy, according to its website. Miles College was founded in 1898 and received charter by the state in 1905. Bachelor's degrees are offered in six departments: business and accounting, communications, education, humanities, natural sciences and mathematics, and social and behavioral sciences.