Fisk University vs Howard U

Fisk University and Howard University, both esteemed Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), offer unique educational experiences to their students. Fisk, a private institution in Nashville, Tennessee, boasts a 65% acceptance rate and a student body of around 800, predominantly African American. Howard, a private research university in Washington, D.C., has a more selective admissions process with a 33% acceptance rate and a diverse student body of over 10,000, representing various ethnicities and backgrounds. While both universities excel in liberal arts and sciences, Fisk is known for its strong music program, while Howard offers a wider range of majors, including engineering, business, and communications. Explore our comprehensive comparison table to discover more distinctions between these two prominent HBCUs and make an informed decision about your higher education journey.
Fisk University logo

Fisk University

Howard University logo

Howard University

Overview

Location Nashville, Tennessee Washington, District of Columbia
Campus setting City: Large City: Large
College type 4 year 4 year
Control/business model Private (Non Profit) Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system Semester Semester
Degrees offered Undergraduate and Graduate Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate 63.0% 91.0%
Common app member Yes Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission

Acceptance rate 61.1% 35.2%
Application fees
Undergraduate: $45

Graduate: $75
SAT range 1060 - 1360 1080 - 1290
ACT range 19 - 26 21 - 26
Students submitting SAT score 35.0% 26.0%
Students submitting ACT score 47.0% 10.0%
Total number of applicants 4,281 29,396
Total number of admissions given out 2,616 10,362
Admitted students who chose to enroll 297 2,768
Yield rate 11.4% 26.7%
Test scores (SAT/ACT) N/A N/A
High school GPA Required Required
Recommendation letters Required Required
High school transcript Not required Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL) Required Not required

Tuition and Fees

Sticker price $39,206 $48,214
Average net price $25,582 $26,870
Tuition $20,928 $28,450
Room & board
Room/dormitory: $6,568

Meal plan: $4,932
$14,678
Available payment plans
  • Tuition payment plan
  • Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid

Students receiving financial aid

(Grants & scholarships)

74.0%
Average amount $12,402
99.0%
Average amount $22,380
Students receiving federal student loan 56.0%
Average amount $5,805
47.0%
Average amount $4,811
Students taking out private loans 1.0%
Average amount $16,521
3.0%
Average amount $16,655

Students and Campus

Undergraduate students 914
Men 33.4% Women 66.6%
8,964
Men 28.0% Women 72.0%
Graduate students 28
Men 32.1% Women 67.9%
3,101
Men 32.8% Women 67.2%
Racial/ethnic diversity
Very Low
Low
Out-of-state students 70.3% 98.6%
International students 11.7% 4.1%
Campus local/setting City: Large City: Large
Dormitory capacity 842 5,719
First year students are required to live on campus? No Yes
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from Tennessee Illinois Georgia California Michigan Maryland New York Georgia New Jersey Texas

Academics

Popular study areas
  • Biological and Biomedical Sciences
  • Business
  • Psychology
  • Social Sciences
  • Liberal Arts
  • Health Professions
  • Business
  • Biological and Biomedical Sciences
  • Social Sciences
  • Communication and Journalism
Students to faculty ratio 15:1 13:1
Institutional accreditation Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges Middle States Commission on Higher Education

Outcome

Graduation rate 45.7% 63.6%
Dropout rate 54.3% 11.3%
Transferred out N/A 23.4%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)
Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $28,812
  • Year 2: N/A
  • Year 3: N/A
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $36,640
  • Year 2: N/A
  • Year 3: N/A
Advanced/Graduate Dentistry and Oral Sciences (Graduate/Professional Certificates)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $139,816
  • Year 3: $169,939
Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration (First Professional Degrees)
  • Year 1: $76,631
  • Year 2: $121,694
  • Year 3: $126,945
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions (Undergraduate Certificates or Diplomas)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $106,421
  • Year 3: $121,256
Dentistry (First Professional Degrees)
  • Year 1: $74,115
  • Year 2: $100,571
  • Year 3: $111,407
Educational Administration and Supervision (Doctoral Degrees)
  • Year 1: $106,768
  • Year 2: $100,038
  • Year 3: $108,698
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $83,747
  • Year 2: $76,460
  • Year 3: $98,585
Computer Systems Analysis (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $82,440
  • Year 3: $95,339
Management Information Systems and Services (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $74,153
  • Year 2: $70,456
  • Year 3: $91,628
Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $76,460
  • Year 3: $85,098
Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $66,889
  • Year 2: $70,456
  • Year 3: $74,462

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