North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University has been named the nation’s No. 1 public historically Black college or university (HBCU) in U.S. News & World Report’s 2027 Best Colleges rankings. Paired with gains across key academic programs and its overall national standing, the recognition marks progress toward N.C. A&T’s ambition to advance as a leading public university while expanding the opportunities its education provides.A&T rose 13 places in both the public and national university rankings, reaching No. 116 and No. 219, respectively. Business, engineering, nursing and computer science also advanced, strengthening the university’s standing in disciplines that prepare students to meet critical needs in industry, health care and technology.The results bring A&T closer to its longstanding goals of becoming a top 100 public university and a top 200 national university. Those benchmarks support a broader institutional focus on academic quality, student success and the university’s contribution to North Carolina and the nation.“Our responsibility as a public, land-grant HBCU is to bring academic excellence and opportunity together,” said Chancellor James R. Martin II. “These results reflect progress across the university, particularly in high-demand disciplines that are vital to our state and nation. And they come at a critical moment for higher education nationally as we all seek to underscore our value and importance to the economic success of America.
